


Young Gods

by riderwrites



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Dark Raps AU, F/F, Manipulation, Rapunzel is not being very nice, inspired by tovanori on twitter, poor cass, references to lost lagoon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:00:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27985803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riderwrites/pseuds/riderwrites
Summary: Rapunzel’s earthly chains have been broken, to say the least. Her density, her kingdom, her parents, and Eugene all fall to pieces as the Decay Incantation opens Rapunzel’s eyes to new possibilities. Where others see a princess changed due to her looming destiny, Cass sees Rapunzel for the true danger she has become. When Rapunzel asks Cassandra to join her, Cass must make a choice that will decide the fate of everything and one she holds dear.
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 128
Kudos: 172





	1. The Revelation

For as long as she could remember, Rapunzel had been chasing the simple dream of 30 minutes outside the tower walls. She’d do anything to make that dream become a reality from cleaning the tower three times over to feigning jealously over her mother’s youthful looks. Rapunzel groveled and bargained to get to experience what everyone else took for granted but Gothel had always said no, squashing out any hope for an escape like a bug under her heel. It’s too dangerous she’d say, spinning tall tales of murders and thugs that wouldn’t hesitate to snap her pretty little neck. Ruffians that wanted nothing more than to use Rapunzel for their personal gain. The thought of the horribleness of the world her mother described was enough to leave Rapunzel shivering under her covers for days as she tried to get the gruesome descriptions out of her mind. She promised a million times that she would never leave the tower. 

Until one of those ruffians climbed through her window. 

Eugene had shown her the way out, pulling her along like a child as Rapunzel took in everything around her with wonder. The trek to Corona had been short and involved a lot more running away from the royal guard than Rapunzel had expected. Despite the lack of sightseeing, the Coronin festival had been magical. Never had Rapunzel had so much fun! The dancing, the people, the overwhelming feeling of happiness and joy had Rapunzel questioning everything her mother told her. 

In the excitement of it all, Rapunzel had fallen for her rescuer. His dashing good looks, sweet smile, and charisma left Rapunzel feeling all sorts of things she had never felt before. When he nearly kissed her below the lantern light had caused Rapunzel’s brain to go fuzzy and her stomach to cartwheel. It didn’t feel exactly how she thought it would but then again nothing in this world was as she once thought but she gave him a chance. 

He followed through when he risked his life to save her from living as a slave. When Eugene had cut her hair, he had cut the chains bound around her and she finally got her freedom. Her life for the next few hours would be decided by her and she was itching for adventure. Rapunzel didn’t really care that she was the lost princess of Corona, much more excited to meet her parents. They sounded like the exact opposite of Gothel. Caring, understanding, noble people who would let her roam free in a world she had been denied for so long. 

But that's not what happened. 

Before Rapunzel could blink, her long lost crown had been placed on her head, she recited some Latin and it was all over. Nobles from all over the world clapped and cheered, her parents nearly cried as they all welcomed her to her new life. Rapunzel had smiled and feigned her excitement but the bright blue sky and endless sea of trees just outside the window kept catching her eye. Whenever she thought about exploring the great unknown, she felt the tiara heavy on her head. The sides pinched her skin and its weight pushed Rapunzel down. She didn’t feel the excitement that everyone else did. Her parents were beyond happy that their daughter was back, and Eugene was excited about their future together. Everyone else couldn’t wait for her to settle down in Corona yet all Rapunzel felt was dread. Was she destined to become just like everybody else in the kingdom? Fulfilled and satisfied with what the Coranan walls held? 

Then Rapunzel met her. Cassandra had stuck out like a sore thumb as she walked against the overwhelming herd of excitement over the princess. In fact, Rapunzel had been sure every single person had wanted to meet her in the kingdom until she caught her first glance of Cassandra. Rapunzel had never seen her before, and she knew she would remember the feeling that overcame her when she did. Her heart had begun beating faster and faster, her breath hitched in her throat as she felt a warm feeling go over her. When Cassandra turned to face the princess, Rapunzel all but made a fool of herself as her face flushed a deep red. When she finally dared to look back at her, Cass was gone. An overwhelming desire to be her friend came over Rapunzel and she swore that it would happen, no matter what. 

With a determination that none could ever hope to match, Rapunzel made that happen. Making friends seemed to be one of the few things she could control and gosh darn it Rapunzel wasn’t going to let Cassandra slip away. Hesitant and aloof at first, Cass proved to be a challenge but somehow Rapunzel wore her down and it had been life-changing. 

Cass had shown Rapunzel the world as nobody had ever done it before. Being able to sneak behind Rapunzel’s parents' back, making it through dark tunnels hidden beneath the kingdom, and finally making it past Corona’s walls for the first time since the tower wouldn’t have happened without her. The first taste of freedom after months of a different breed of captivity. 

Freedom as she had never known it before. Standing out there in an open field, Rapunzel knew this was where she belonged. The wind blew through her short, brown hair making her feel alive for the first time in months. She couldn’t be tethered to one spot forever, she wanted to see everything the world had to offer her. Rapunzel only looked behind to see her liberator. Inky black locks swaying in the breeze as her dark green eyes were locked on the princess with a soft, encouraging smile. Rapunzel's heart fluttered at the sight as she felt herself get caught up in the excitement again. 

Going back had been one of the hardest things Rapunzel ever had to do. With the sudden return of her hair, she had a split-second thought of just turning heel and running. With the horses, they would be able to clear the kingdom limits by tomorrow night with the search parties far behind them. Before she could humor the idea any longer, crushing guilt fell on Rapunzel’s shoulders. Running away would be selfish and she couldn’t do that to the people of Corona, not after they welcomed her with such open arms. 

But! Through the work of constant persistence and the best puppy-dog eyes Rapunzel could muster, Cass took on more trips. From midnight romps around the kingdom to sneaking away from Rapunzel's guard entourage while in town, Cass always had a back alley or tunnel to escape through. Rapunzel got to be herself whenever the two were alone together. She could talk at lengths about the adventures she wanted to take and how she didn’t really want to be a princess. While others would shake their heads and tell Rapunzel how blessed she was to be royalty, Cass wouldn’t. She understood from her own experience from being denied even a tryout for the Royal Guard. Both girls understood what the other was going through and they both felt like they didn’t fit amongst the other people of Corona. 

It was through these back alley conversations over Alita’s cupcakes that Rapunzel realized her true feelings for Cassandra. The princess just didn’t want to be friends with Cassandra; she wanted to be so much more. She never felt this way about anyone else. This strange, stomach-churning, heart-pounding, desire to pull them close and never let go. Rapunzel thought she had the same feelings for Eugene but after enough sleepless nights due to too many thoughts, Rapunzel realized the hard truth. She was in love with her best friend, not her boyfriend and she had absolutely no idea how to deal with it. 

Now that she understood her feelings it became increasingly harder to not grab Cassandra by the collar of her shirt and pull her into a kiss. Rapunzel found herself analyzing her best friend’s movements and responses, trying to gauge if Cass had the same feelings. All these feelings and observations accumulated in the moment at the lost lagoon when their eyes met for a second too long on its shore. 

They had sat close to one another, shoulders brushing and hands dangerously close. Rapunzel had never been as nervous as she was right now. Her heartbeat boomed in her ears as she felt her face heat up against the cool night breeze. She took a deep breath, conjured as much bravery as she could, and shifted her hand onto Cassandra’s. Cass’s eyes went wide as she felt the sudden touch. Her hand flexed underneath Rapunzel and the princess could feel the other girl’s fingers curl underneath her own. Rapunzel held her breath as she awaited Cass’s reaction, already dreading the loss of warmth as Cass would certainly pull away. Instead, Cass let herself relax under the touch. Her eyes moved from the waterfall at the edge of the lagoon, lingering on their hands, before looking at Rapunzel. 

Cass’s eyes were enticing. Dark green near brown like the shade given off by an oak tree. Strong and steady just like the woman sitting next to her on the shore. Rapunzel had painted and sketched Cassandra a thousand times but never had she gotten close to the correct shade. While the warrior prided herself on playing her cards close to her threat, she had no poker face to Rapunzel. Her eyes read like a book, revealing her emotions to someone who had taken the time and effort to decipher them. While nervousness was there, her affection for the other woman was clear. The one that Rapunzel had only noticed turned on her and only in their moments alone. The one that made the butterflies in Rapunzel’s stomach go haywire and her entire face to turn red. 

To this day Rapunzel still wasn’t sure who kissed who first. One moment they were apart and the next Rapunzel could feel Cass’s lips underneath her. Rapunzel thought she would pull away as quickly as it had happened but to her delight, Cass stayed where she was. Slightly hesitant at first but slowly gaining confidence. She turned her head to the side slightly to deepen it while she entwined their fingers. The princess melted into the kiss, the last time she felt this way had been her first day out of the tower. It was a realization of where she was meant to be and a sudden hunger for more. She belonged in Cass’s arms just as much as she belonged to the endless wilderness. 

It was over too soon. Cass pulled away slowly, her eyes flickering open to take in Rapunzel. A realization crossed her face as to what had just happened. A sense of doom and forlorn took the place of love in her eyes. Rapunzel blinked and Cass was five feet away from her, her face the same shade as her undershirt. 

“Cass-” Rapunzel began, trying to say something that would bring Cass back to her side. “That-” 

“Can never happen again.” Cassandra finished as she slowly got her emotions under control again. 

“But-” Rapunzel wanted to come clean about how she felt but Cass was insistent on not letting her finish her thought. 

“It will never. Happen. Again.” Cass growled this time. 

Rapunzel tried to decipher a deeper meaning from Cass’s eyes. Maybe she was scared or maybe she was worried about what would happen with Eugene. There were a thousand reasons why Cass had done what she did, but Cass’s eyes were blank again. Seconds ago, Rapunzel had been closer to Cass than she ever had been but now the walls Cass had spent years building went back up and Rapunzel on the outside. Without saying another word, Cass marched into the woods beyond, leaving Rapunzel alone with her thoughts. 

She’d have to go back to the castle eventually. Back to the duties and routines, the requirements and procedures. She would have to face Eugene with Cass’s lips still fresh on hers. She would have to lie about where she was and what she was doing. Why should she have to force away these feelings? Her desires were simple enough, freedom. The ability to go where she pleased, pick, and go whenever she wanted. Rapunzel had been dreaming about adventures for years and even when she met Eugene, she always imagined going by herself but now… 

Rapunzel stared down at the lagoon bank. The soil was dark and moist underneath her feet. She leaned over and drew her finger through the sand, mindlessly sketching to calm the thoughts in her head. It wasn’t until she finished did, she realizes what she was drawing. A drawing of her facing away from the observer with a horizon in front of her and by her side Cassandra, their hands interlocked. 

She smiled down at the image. Seeing it in front of her made it all feel real. Rapunzel could smell the forest and taste the fresh air as she tried to catch the horizon. Cassandra’s hand was in hers as she dragged the other women through fields of flowers, flower crowns on both their heads. She could hear Cassandra’s laughter ringing in her ears as she pulled Rapunzel closer. Hand in hand they danced in lazy circles underneath the summer sun, nothing to hold them back. 

The lagoon water lapped forward, washing away the drawing without remorse. It chilled Rapunzel as the feeling of the sun was washed away by the chill water at her feet. It was like it had never happened and it never would. Rapunzel had a responsibility to the people of Corona, she had to be their princess and then their queen. Eugene would be her husband and Cassandra her captain...just her captain. 

Tears began to pour down Rapunzel's face as she hugged her knees to her chest. A feeling of helplessness like none she had ever felt before washed over her. This was the tower all over again, trading her physical imprisonment for a mental one. Locked behind procedures and responsibility instead of physical walls and she wasn’t sure which one she despised more. At least in the tower, she didn’t know what she was missing but out here it was different. She’d have to look at Cass every day, spend every moment with her as they both lead lives they didn’t want or ask for. 

Rapunzel pressed her face into her knees and cried as the feeling of helplessness crushed her underneath it. 

It’s been a long time since the lagoon. Months had gone by since Rapunzel had cried at its bank as wished for a sliver of what she wanted. She had tried asking her father for more leeway and attempted to get a few moments alone with Cass to sort out her feelings. But her father simply lowered her guard count to three and Cass upped her stubbornness levels to where Rapunzel couldn’t even mention the lagoon without the girl shutting down. 

She had spent months having her life planned out by everyone else in her life. When Cass recited her schedule to her every morning, it felt like she was telling Rapunzel her jail sentence. Every responsibility was another chain, every meeting another lock trapping in her, and every day she spent doing as others said was another day far away from what she truly believed to be her destiny. 

The journey provided the first real taste of adventure in a long time. For once, she had gotten what she wanted. Her father had miraculously said yes to her plea for adventure and Rapunzel was going to spend every moment she could enjoying it. Cass even slowly started to open up to Rapunzel again and their short trips to gather supplies or scout got longer and longer as the journey wore on. She finally had everything she wanted, and Rapunzel had never felt happier. But it quickly became bittersweet. A voice in her head stirred with each happy moment, whispering how this was all temporary. 

“Pecking in happiness at 19 years old.” It whispered in Rapunzel’s ear after a particularly wonderful day. “How depressing.” 

“Is Cass flirting with that clerk?” The voice pointed out in a company store where Cass was leaning against the counter, making the woman behind it laugh a little too much. “She’s clearly moved on.” 

“This destiny wasn’t yours to choose.” It murmured in the dead of night as Rapunzel lied awake. “You’re only doing it to protect Corona, haven’t you given them enough?” 

Rapunzel tried fighting these thoughts back, covering her ears with her pillow to drown out the oil-like voice circling her head. She couldn’t give in to it; it was just trying to hurt her. She would be happy to give everything to Corona, after all, it was her job as a princess...right? Everyone trusted her to do the right thing, to do the thing that they wanted. Rapunzel couldn’t change what had already been written. 

That all changed at The Great Tree. 

The moment the words of the Decay Incantation rolled of her tongue; Rapunzel felt something in her mind click. It was as if a dam had broken, letting all her pent-up desires run free. She got lost in the rush of realization, lost in the power that overwhelmed her as she heard her friends fall to their knees behind her. She felt unstoppable, she was uncontrollable, she was free and with that feeling overtaking her mind Rapunzel was able to look at her life from a new point of view. 

Her parents, Eugene, Corona, they had taken everything from her. Ripped her newfound freedom from her hands, adjusted it until it suited their needs, and handed her a hollowed-out version. She wasn’t free, her prison had just gotten larger, and when even the idea that something may go wrong, they locked her right back where she started. 

She tried to be nice, she tried to be a good daughter and a noble princess. She asked nicely, she played by the rules they gave her, blissfully oblivious to the chains that were locking around her arms. By the time she noticed, got that first taste of true freedom, it was too late. Coronated a princess, proposed to by her boyfriend, permanently trapped in a future that wasn’t hers and everyone else told her to smile. 

For 18 years she had thought she would be stuck in the tower and it wasn’t until Eugene came through her window did she realize she could leave. Well, she didn’t need a knight in shining armor to show her the way out anymore. Rapunzel had found the door and walked through it herself. Nobody would be able to stop her, nobody could if they tried. 

Rapunzel wasn’t completely sure how she’d do it yet. She might slip away in the dead of night while everyone else was asleep or she might unleash the decay incantation full power to leave a warning for anyone who tried to follow her. It no longer mattered how it happened, as long as it did. Rapunzel was walking out of this unwanted life and into a one where she could do as pleased. 

And she was taking Cassandra with her.


	2. New and Improved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group stops at the Shellhouse and Rapunzel spends some one and one time with herself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so like, nothing in canon happens here. No mirror, no magic tops since that won't really add to the story. That also goes for most of the fic so, be prepared for that I guess idk.

The shell house was immaculate. Walls and ceilings carved out of red and orange shells that left Rapunzel speechless. She ran her hand absentmindedly across the smooth surface, relishing the feeling of it underneath her fingertips. Corona never had anything like this, it’s architecture was terribly mundane. Every house and structure followed the same pattern time and time again. It had been exciting the first few months but after that Rapunzel began to feel like she was in a permanent state of deja vu as she walked down its streets 

Rapunzel listened in awe as the innkeeper spoke about the house. He went over its origins and the fine-tuned structure that kept it supported. A hunger had grown in Rapunzel, a desire to experience all the amazing things the world had to offer like never before. Her mind wandered away from the lecture, getting lost in daydreams of a future full of adventures and interesting places like this. Her satchel bumped against her leg, packed and ready to go. 

She had it planned. She would leave tonight while everyone else was asleep. The storm would pose just as much of a problem to the ones following her as it would her. It would be risky but well worth it once she was far enough away where no one could track her down. The memory of her first breath of freedom came back to her. The feeling of invincibility as she ran through the grass for the first time since leaving the tower. It would all be coming back to her soon and this time she wouldn’t let anyone take it away from her. 

The tour led up the stairs and to the guest bedrooms. Her friends were a few steps ahead of her as Rapunzel lagged a few steps behind. Eugene and Cassandra had been bickering the entire way up and it was enough to break Rapunzel out of her daydreams. The argument could be about anything, god knows they have the same three every day. Rapunzel watched them tear into each other, well, she watched Cassandra snap comments at Eugene. Her mossy green eyes were alight with the same flame that came in a swordfight and her dark lips curled into a smile as an insult hit its mark. Rapunzel let herself stare, admiring the way her mouth moved as she went off on Eugene’s smolder for the umpteenth time that day. 

“Rapunzel, tell Cassandra that the smolder works on people who don’t have hearts made out of ice.” The princess heard Eugene but chose to not register it in her mind as she admired the raven-black curls that framed Cass’s face. 

“Raps!” Hissed Cass. 

Rapunzel flinched in mild surprise when she found Cass staring back at her. Her pale skin was turning pink as both girls realized what Rapunzel had been staring at. If this had happened before, Rapunzel would have felt embarrassed that she had been staring at her best friend like that so openly but now, Rapunzel found she didn’t care. She smiled at Cass’s blush and watched it grow deeper for every inch that Rapunzel's smile grew. 

“Yo-you need to pay attention here Raps,” Cass said, tripping over her words as she said them. “I don’t trust this place.” 

“And that’s new how?” Eugene asked with a smirk. 

“Shut it, Fitzherbert,” Cass replied, too flustered by Raps to get back into a verbal brawl. She turned quickly on her heel and marched into an empty room, her red cape flapping behind her. Rapunzel watched her go, her mind on how good Cass looked in her newfound armor. Eugene tutted softly beside her, shaking his head at Cass’s exit. 

“That was an amazing comeback by the way!” Eugene shouted after her and a door slam was his only reply. He turned to Rapunzel. “How you two get along sometimes just baffles me Blondie.” 

“Not everyone finds you entertaining Eugene.” Replied Rapunzel as her eyes stayed focused on the closed door. “Besides, I don’t know where I'd be without her. She’s helped me more than anyone has.” 

“And here I was thinking that her only purpose in life was to piss me off.” Eugene joked before noticing Rapunzel’s stuffed satchel. “Um, Blondie, care to explain why you seemed to have packed half the caravan?” 

Rapunzel debated how to go about this. On one hand, she could have lied about her plan but on the other, she didn’t care enough to even do that. He would figure it out eventually, what was the point of wasting the breath? 

“Who was it that brought in their entire beauty kit?” Rapunzel asked. That would keep him off her tail for a little while longer. 

“Well, you got me there!” Eugene laughed. “See you at dinner?” 

“Of course,” Rapunzel replied as she walked past him. She did give him one glance before she disappeared into the room. “See you then.” 

Cass had already claimed the left side of the room, throwing her belongings on the bed in anger. She glared at her small collection of clothes and daggers as if they had insulted her. Rapunzel wasn’t sure what caused her anger, the fight with Eugene or Rapunzel's staring. 

When Rapunzel walked in, Cass immediately went on guard. Her back snapped up straighter and she kept Rapunzel in the corner of her eye. The princess had noticed her doing that whenever they were alone together. In fact, ever since she had her memory erased Cass had been acting stranger than usual. She hadn’t been able to catch a moment alone with the other woman ever since. Cass had either pretended to be asleep in their caravan or spent her time with the others to limit their alone time. 

She knows something’s up. Rapunzel thought as she looked over at her friend. Cass pretended she didn’t notice as she placed her various ideas at the foot of the bed. Rapunzel couldn’t help but smile at that. She had been able to keep everyone else coy about her change, chalking it up to nervousness about her destiny or the months on the road. Everyone else had accepted it and moved on but not Cass. 

The second Rapunzel had decided to turn her back on her destiny, Cass had been hot on her trail. While Rapunzel thought that she hadn’t been doing anything differently, Cass was starting to treat her like a stranger. She must be paying more attention to me than the others. Rapunzel thought with a grin. See, her feelings are still there. 

“Listen Raps,” Cass said suddenly. Rapunzel turned around to see that Cass hadn’t. She continued to stare forward at the wall. “I’m sorry for being so...skittish lately. I just don’t trust this place; I’m getting a bad feeling.” 

“Aw come on Cass!” Rapunzel replied as she began to clear the short distance between them. She leaned against Cass’s back and placed her hands on the bed, trapping Cassandra between it and her. Rapunzel leaned next to Cass’s ear, relishing the way she made Cass’s stiffen even more. “What’s wrong with a little adventure?” 

The knight’s eyes widened as she realized what was going on. For a few seconds, she stayed there, her fists clenched at her sides and her jaw set. This was Rapunzel’s chance to explain her plan to Cass. She opened her mouth but before she could get a word out Cass broke through Rapunzel’s arms and bolted through the door. 

“Cass!” Rapunzel called, a little angry at her for not staying. Another chance for Rapunzel to tell Cassandra her plan flew out the window. Rapunzel nervously fidgeted with her sleeves. What if she never got the chance to ask Cass to come with her? Then what? If Cass had been able to figure out Rapunzel already then, she would know where to find her. Everything would be over before it started…. why should she even bother? 

No. It wouldn’t end like this. She had just woken up and she wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon. The storm would rage on for at least another day and when Cass agrees to come with her then they’ll be able to cut their time in two thanks to Cass’s outdoor skills plus Fidella. Rapunzel just needed to be patient. Wait a couple more hours until after dinner. That's when she’ll be able to talk to Cass one on one and if she pretended to be asleep, Rapunzel would force her to wake up and face her. She refused to let this go on a second longer. 

Embracing this new, selfish ideology was thrilling. Rapunzel hadn’t realized how hard she tried to be nice until she decided to stop doing it all together. The pure adrenaline that came from saying no was addicting enough and the freedom that came from concerning herself with other people’s lives only added to it. 

Of course, she still had to be careful. As far as everyone was concerned, she was still the sunny, bubbly Rapunzel they had all grown to love. If they found out how little she cared about, well, everything that didn’t immediately interest her then they would try to fix it. Rapunzel had spent 19 years being “fixed” and she wasn’t keen on having someone else take a go on creating their ideal Rapunzel again. 

She turned to face a vanity that sat in the room. With a glance at the door to make sure nobody was coming, Rapunzel threw her satchel onto the empty bed and sat down in front of the mirror. The glass showed a young princess, blonde hair, and emerald eyes that shone. Freckles were scattered across her face that gave her a somewhat childish appearance and a slight frown. 

Rapunzel took a deep breath and dug into the power that had alluded her for years. She felt a stinging but oddly comforting heat cross over her skin. A sting that reminded her that she was alive, that she had her own life. She watched as the reflection across from her changed. Black crept out of the roots of her hair, slowly dying the bright blonde to a dark black. The night sky at witching hour kind of darkness, where anything bad could happen. 

Her eyes followed suit, the whites of them crisscrossing with black lines until it was gone altogether. Emerald shined into gold while her pupils turned amber. A slow, satisfied smile crossed Rapunzel’s face as she took herself in. It was a strange ability that came along with the decay incantation but one that Rapunzel enjoyed. She got to choose what she looked like for once, blonde no longer being the only option. 

“Not bad,” She mused as she traced her finger alongside her jaw. “Not bad at all.” 

Rapunzel reached up to push back her hair. The movement created a soft hissing noise when she did so. It was somewhere between the sizzle of a frying pan and the warning hiss of a snake. She smiled approvingly at it. Her power shined through, inside and out. 

She was getting better at controlling the other powers that came with the decay incantation as well. Her first time using it had been nothing short of disastrous. Slipping into a state that she couldn’t break out of wasn’t how Rapunzel wanted her power to go. She wanted to be in control no matter the circumstances. 

When she went to use it a 2nd time, she had been greedy. She knew that Cass could have defeated the tree with the spear but Rapunzel had been itching to try out the power again. She thought she learned from her first time but the words fell off her tongue without thinking and she couldn’t break out of it until it was too late. 

Cassandra had been the last person she wanted to hurt but Rapunzel had starred in twisted fascination at the way Cass’s arm had turned black. She had done that and she could do it again if she wanted to. She had hidden her smile when she left Cass, imaging what she could do if she could focus during the incantation. So, she started practicing. 

It had started with just uttering the words without losing her grip on reality. When she felt herself slip away, Rapunzel would throw herself into whatever river or lake she sat by. It brought her back to reality and each time she practiced she was able to hold on to herself a little bit longer. A few days later, she was finally able to keep her wits about her when she used the incarnation. 

She wanted to focus it like some kind of beam of power but that proved trickier. No matter how hard she focused, Rapunzel ended up taking out entire fields instead of the individual plants she focused on. Wiping out that much life at one time wasn’t something to brush off but it had gotten on Rapunzel’s nerves that she couldn’t make it do whatever she wanted it too but she would just have to wait a little longer. It was enough that she could come in and out of the state and of course mix up her style to be more...true to herself now. 

There was a sudden knock at her door. Rapunzel pulled herself away from the mirror with a sigh. She’d have to pretend to be goody-good Rapunzel once again and it was getting harder and harder to force herself to make that transition. After a few seconds of focusing, she watched her hair return to yellow and her eyes go back to green. A sparkle of amber stuck with her though, giving her eyes a strange glow. 

There was always some nervousness about going back. Rapunzel feared that she wouldn’t be able to return to how she previously was, stuck in that dark state forever. While she wanted to become that part of her, she couldn’t risk this fragile plan. Rapunzel scowled as she felt the same thought of giving up from before creeping into her mind again. If she was going to take back her destiny then she would have to squash those feelings down like an unwanted pest. 

One more look at the mirror to make sure no black had crept through her locks and a mental effort to shove any weakness down before she went to face who had come to the door. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought that perhaps Cass had come back but when she opened the door Eugene stood before her. She didn’t try hard to mask her disappointment. 

“My lady,” Eugene said with a flourish as he held the door open for her. 

Rapunzel gave him a fake smile as she stepped out. She did glance around for any sight of Cass but the woman was nowhere in sight. Where had she gotten off too? Perhaps she was already down there with the others and the two began to walk down to dinner, a noticeable distance between them. 

“Hey Rapunzel,” Eugene said. The silence between them must have gotten to him but Rapunzel had paid it no mind. He stopped walking and grabbed her hands in his. She stopped and turned to face him. She knew that if she didn’t give him this time that he would only try to reach her more and more. If he did that it would give her less time to plan out her next moves and the last thing, she needed was a pointless distraction. 

Eugene looked down at their intertwined hands, lighting rubbing his thumb against hers. Slowly he looked up at her eyes, a determined look in his eyes. “I know that you’ve been going through a lot recently and I want you to know that I’m by your side, no matter what.” 

“Yes, Eugene.” Rapunzel sighed. “You’ve made that abundantly clear.” 

He took it at face value, smiling at her as he no doubt felt success for being a good boyfriend. Perfect, Eugene was the only one who could stop Rapunzel and Cassandra from leaving. If he was satisfied that she was fine then he wouldn’t raise any eyebrows and carry on with his day. Eugene tried to not meddle too much in her affairs, typically leaving her to do whatever she wanted as long as he was part of her life. What once was a useful tactic when Rapunzel had planned on keeping Eugene around now fell flat on its face as Rapunzel only had eyes for a certain dark-haired woman. 

They made it down to the dining room shortly after. It had a more shrunken ceiling compared to the overarching ones in the other rooms. Its walls were also various shades of blue instead of the warmer tones. A feast was spread out on a table and it smelled intoxicating. After the past few weeks living off of rations, Rapunzel was excited to have a warm meal for a change. Everyone but Cass was there and Rapunzel furrowed her brow. 

Cass wasn’t childish enough to let whatever was getting to her prevent her from eating. She could run away all she wanted but Rapunzel knew that she would have to face the music eventually. Rapunzel took her seat across from Eugene and began to pile food on her plate. 

The group talked amongst themselves, commenting on the storm and the strangeness of their surroundings. Rapunzel didn’t contribute, her mind calculating the distance she would need to put between herself and the shell house later that night. While she did so, Rapunzel couldn’t help but glance at the empty chair next to her. Halfway through dinner and Cass still hadn’t shown up yet. Perhaps she was waiting for Rapunzel to leave before she ate. Rapunzel scoffed as she took another bite of mashed potatoes, she could try that all she wants, Rapunzel would find her. 

Dinner ended and Cass was still absent. Rapunzel was more annoyed than worried. Cass had been avoiding her all day and it was starting to get on her nerves. If Cassandra thought she could hide from Rapunzel forever she was sorely mistaken. She would find the swordswoman if she had to pull the shell house apart bit by bit. 

Lance and Eugene were still happily talking amongst themselves, jokingly critiquing each other's looks all night. Shorty had resulted in falling in and out of sleep continuously on top of his plate full of food. How she ended up in the company of such morons was beyond Rapunzel but it didn’t matter anymore, it wouldn’t be long until she had all the company she wanted. 

Rapunzel rose from her chair without a word and proceeded to leave. She was tired of waiting for Cass to come to her, they needed to leave soon. The princess began walking towards the door, trying to decide where to check for her friend first when Eugene called after her. 

“Hey, Sunshine!” He called from his chair. “We were going to play charades, you and me vs Lance and Shorty, and this time we won’t let them cheat!” 

“Still sour that we’re the supreme team?” Lance asked. 

“Is it a coincidence that the person in charge of the timer won every time because I think NOT!” Eugene shot back before returning to Rapunzel. “What do you say?” 

“No,” Rapunzel said as she kept walking out the door, not turning around or slowing for the conversation. 

“She doesn’t want to face the humiliation of losing, I get it,” Lance said. 

“She’s just tired,” Eugene explained as he turned back towards his friend. “But we woulda whipped both your asses!” 

Their voices faded off into silence as Rapunzel walked away from the dining hall. She shook her head; their issues were so mundane. It seemed like she was the only one concerned about where Cass had gotten up too which made sense. Not many people seemed to notice her back in Corona despite being the most breathtaking woman there. Rapunzel took note of that as she turned a corner, that would be a good point to turn Cass onto her side. 

Rapunzel decided to start with the east hallway since it was farthest from the bedrooms. Cass typically liked to put distance between herself and those she didn’t trust. Since Rapunzel had fallen into that category, it seemed like a good place to start. While opening doors and checking the armoires, Rapunzel mentally prepared what she would say to Cass. 

She couldn’t rely solely on the two of them being soulmates. Cass didn’t seem to fully understand that yet but given time she’d come to see Rapunzel’s way of thinking. While she knew the other woman had feelings for her, Cass had spent her time since the lagoon pushing them down as much as possible. No, Rapunzel would need at least another angle. 

For the first time, Rapunzel found herself thinking about her tower days in a more...useful way. What had made her stay there for so long and how could she use that to pull Cassandra closer so she would never leave? When Gothel had been convincing Rapunzel to stay she had used fear. While Cass put up a show of being fearless, Rapunzel knew that everyone was afraid of something. 

I’ll have to think about that. Rapunzel thought as she walked down another hallway. 

It was quiet in this part of the house. As far as Rapunzel was concerned, she was entirely alone. Her bare feet were silent on the floor as she continued her search for Cassandra. She was starting to get irritated that the other woman had made herself so impossible to find and the house seemed to be endless empty rooms and long hallways. Just then, Rapunzel heard a voice. It was soft but there. She furrowed her brow and slowly walked towards it. 

“Rapunzel…” It whispered. “Rapunzel...Rapunzel….” 

The voice sounded slightly familiar, like an old friend who she forgot the name of. It coaxed Rapunzel towards a door, mysteriously left open. Rapunzel’s eyes went wide in interest. Perhaps Cassandra had forgotten to close it in her rage, she could be so blind-sighted when she was angry. She stepped forward, blinking against the bright light that poured out from the room the door leads to. 

Without much thought, Rapunzel stepped into the light. It washed over her face as she pushed through it. Once she passed the threshold the door slammed shut behind her, trapping her in the room beyond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, look, two chapters :). Honestly thanks for the support guys! It feels kinda weird to have people actually reading what I wrote because that hasn’t happened in a long time. I just stop during the day now and go, whoa...this is great. I hope you enjoyed some more dark rapunzel pov, I know I enjoyed writing it. She’s a blast.  
> Also! As far as updates go, I don’t really know. It’s the end of the semester for me and then I have about a month till the next one. So far, writing this is all I have planned but we’ll see. I definitely want to finish it tho so...there you go. I have more chapters written out I just gotta remove all the *cass was too gay for this* and * I don’t want to write this part I’ll do it later* fillers so expect another update next week maybe! Thanks for reading and hope your day is pretty dang good.


	3. Mind Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel finds out what's behind the door

The slam of the door behind her made Rapunzel's heart skip a beat. She turned around to see if anyone had followed her in, but she saw no one. In fact, she saw nothing. The door she had just walked through disappeared into that strange, orange wall that seemed to be in every part of the house. Rapunzel was trapped. She felt her heart begin to beat faster as she found it harder to breathe. 

She needed to get a grip on herself. If she couldn’t control her own nervousness how would she be able to convince people that she was a threat to be reckoned with? Rapunzel steadied herself and took a deep breath. A sense of calm came over her as she did, and she began to take in her surroundings. 

The room she had walked into wasn’t a room. Instead, it was a long unending hallway. The walls were tightly packed together, and it succeeded in making Rapunzel feel more claustrophobic. The only option was to walk forward. If Cass had walked through here, then that's where Rapunzel would find her. 

Rapunzel walked down the hallway, her eyes scanning it for any threat or deviation. It was quiet, too quiet. All she could hear was the blood in her ears and the pumping of her heart. Not only that, but the quiet gave a voice to the thoughts in her mind. In a room with no distractions, they finally were able to take center stage. 

The Great Tree may have revealed a new way of thinking but that didn’t mean her old way of doing things had stepped aside. If anything, they had become much louder now that they had competition. A constant call to do good by people had started to give Rapunzel a headache and it was all she could do to not fall into her familiar ways. They had gotten her where she was today, and she wasn’t about to give them a second chance. 

Yet the decay’s way of doing things wasn’t sitting right with Rapunzel either. Where she used to look at problems and want to fix them, she found herself evaluating if it was worth it or not. She’d question if she could benefit from the situation at all and if not, she lost interest. Not only that, but she had the desire to play with people's emotions. Rapunzel wanted to become a puppet master, turn people against others for her own amusement. 

The two sides fought constantly, each one trying to one-up the other. Rapunzel wasn’t sure they were two halves of her mind or manifestations from the Sundrop. If one side beat the other, what would happen? As far as she could tell, she would either become the embodiment of selflessness or become a crooked monster who used people for her own selfish gain. 

Finding a balance was difficult. Her emotions used to make sense but now with each passing day it got harder to process them. Did she want to give in to the darkness? It felt good whenever she said the decay incantation or when she went her own way. It always gave her a rush she had never felt before when she did, yet she feared the woman she’d become if she gave in. 

Going back to her old ways was defiantly out of the question so that left her struggling to find stability. Rapunzel had started to focus the positiveness onto those she wanted to but kept her happiness at the forefront. It had been working out well, but the princess was noticing how frequent her headaches were getting nowadays. 

A sudden throbbing pain shot through her head, speak of the devil. She groaned as she pressed her face into her hands. This would get easier once she was out of the Shellhouse. What she would do for some fresh air right now. Rapunzel pulled her face out of her hand as she rounded the corner and gasped. 

Cass stood at the end of the hallway with her back to the princess. A wave of relief came over Rapunzel. After spending over an hour looking for the other woman, Rapunzel finally found her. She hadn’t wanted to admit to herself that she had thought Cass left the Shellhouse and disappeared into the woods after what Rapunzel had pulled in their room earlier, her dark persona losing a point in that regard. 

“Cass, I finally found you,” Rapunzel said as she slowed her pace. Once again, she was torn. Part of her wanted to clear the distance and throw herself into Cass’s arms while the other wanted Cass to come to her. Another decision that could tip the scales and drastically change her next move. Rapunzel opted for the latter as she stopped walking and crossed her arms. She wouldn’t stand for Cass being so distant with her, not if she was going to bring the soldier along with her. 

“Have you finally stopped running away?” Rapunzel flinched back at the tone of her own voice. It had been so easy to be coarse with the boys at dinner when she had been worried about Cass, but now it felt out of place. The "good" side of her brain begged for her to apologize, but Rapunzel had already committed and refused to go back. 

Cass peeked over her shoulder at Rapunzel. It was her alright, but something seemed off. Her hard edges seemed to have been smoothed down, her eyes holding more emotion at that moment that Cass had shown in the past year. Rapunzel furrowed her eyebrows, confused. Before she could open her mouth, Cass turned around and bolted out of sight again. 

“What? Cass!” Rapunzel called. She gave into her old ways and bolted after the girl. 

She hardly got a few steps in before she felt something pull her back. The force was so sudden that Rapunzel nearly fell. She didn’t look behind her as she tried to break free, but the grip was too strong. Desperation filled her as Cass’s footfalls grew softer and softer. Rapunzel whipped around to face what had held her back, ready to do whatever it took to break free again. 

Adria stood over her, her eyes blank but sending shivers down Rapunzel’s spine. Her smile was off-putting, it meant well but not for her. The warrior’s grip was strong on Rapunzel’s arm and no matter how hard she tried to pull away, she was stuck. 

“And where do you think you’re going Sundrop?” Adira asked. It sounded genuine as if the concern was in fact there. 

Rapunzel knew she wanted to trust Adria. She wanted to let herself be led away by the wise woman and do what she said. After all, it’s what she set out to do on this journey? She was born to do it; she was the only one who could. 

“Don’t you know your destiny lies with the Moonstone?” Adira asked. She spoke her words like she was correcting a child’s stance. Trying to comfort Rapunzel and gently guide her back on the straight and narrow, back to what would benefit Adira. She gave no mind to what Rapunzel wanted as she cryptically answering her questions. Adria was so full of herself that she had assumed Rapunzel wanted what the warrior did. 

That sent anger through Rapunzel. Taking the moonstone was not what she wanted, not what she ever wanted. She had only been so excited about the trip because it was the closest she had come to a real adventure since the tower. Rapunzel understood that now more than ever and with newfound strength, she pulled away from Adria with a grimace. 

“My destiny is for me to decide,” Rapunzel said as she pulled her arm free. 

She stumbled in her sudden release. After regaining her footing, Rapunzel ran off after Cass, refusing to give Adira a second glance. As she turned onto another corridor, a grin crossed Rapunzel’s face. It felt good to finally say that. 

Cassandra was lingering by another corner as if she was unsure of which way to go. Rapunzel lengthened her strides to clear the distance between them. She was Rapunzel’s destiny and nothing Adria said could change that. Rapunzel reached out her hand to grab Cassandra’s shoulder, but her fingers passed through nothing. Without support, she fell on her face. 

Cassandra ran off again, the clank of her armor ringing in Rapunzel’s ears as she tried to push herself up to her feet. She lifted her head to see where Cass was going but a pair of boots blocked her few. Groggily, Rapunzel looked up to see her father standing over her. 

Her blood ran cold as she looked into his disappointed gaze. His blue eyes were just as blank as Adria’s but somehow even more unsettling. It made Rapunzel want to crawl away and hide. She wanted to do anything that would make that look go away. 

“Well, well, well,” He tutted softly as if Rapunzel had been four and just snuck out of her bedroom at night. “It looks like somebody has had a little too much fun on her journey.” 

He wasn’t real, none of this was real. It was some bizarre illusion that the Shellhouse had conjured up to torture her. Rapunzel tried to force herself out of this fever dream she was having, but when she opened her eyes her father still stood in front of her. She backed up on her hands, not able to stand up as her father’s shadow loomed over her. Rapunzel swallowed as she looked up at him. 

“Perhaps we should keep you in Corona from now on,” Her father insisted. He offered a hand with a smile on his face. “That’s what best for you.” 

Her father was a wise man. She had watched from his side as he expertly negotiated contracts, keeping even the most sensitive people satisfied. Not only that but he loved her, all he wanted was what was best for her. How long had she waited for parents who wanted her to be safe and happy? Wasn't she being foolish but pushing them away? 

Rapunzel watched as her hand lifted up to reach for her father's, their fingertips brushing for just a moment before she was suddenly knocked aside by another realization. 

If her father cared for her he wouldn’t have put her in the princess position so quickly. He would have listened when she asked for more freedom, he would have compromised, and he definitely wouldn’t have locked her in her room the second the going got rough. 

Rapunzel pulled back her hand and stepped out of his shadow. She wouldn’t let him restrict her again. No more small armies following her through town, no more orders that confined her to her room, no more unprecedented control over her. 

“You don’t care what’s best for me,” Rapunzel said, finally finding the courage to voice her complaints. “You only care about what’s best for you and I’m not going to let anyone use me for their own personal gain anymore!” 

Once again, she continued her pursuit of Cass. Another weight felt fell off her shoulders and Rapunzel felt like she was getting the hang of this. The people were challenges she had to get through, hurdles she had to leap to get where she wanted to be. Cass was still up ahead, going at a light jog now. A few meters and Rapunzel would be able to reach her. Finally! This is what she wanted; this is who she needed. 

“Whoa whoa, Blondie! Where's the fire?” Eugene stepped out of nowhere, grinning with so much charisma it made Rapunzel choke. “Oh wait, it’s right here.” 

Eugene took her hands in his and squeezed them tightly. Rapunzel couldn’t help but melt underneath his gaze as he looked at her with all the love in the world. Guilt festered in her stomach as she thought about how she treated him before she got into this room. 

“Rapunzel, you know that if you need anything, I’m right here,” Eugene assured. 

Being with Eugene was so easy. The conversation was light and never forced between the two. He always stood by her side when she needed him most. Perhaps it would be easier if she brought Eugene along instead of Cass. Rapunzel could do away with all the tactics she would have to use and just ask him to come with her. It would be so much easier to get him to say yes. 

Memories of her Cass began to slip through her mind. When she got that first real laugh out of her, whenever she got Cass to open up to her, after their kiss at the lagoon when Cass had looked at her like Rapunzel was the most breathtaking thing in the world. 

Whenever she was upset, she’d turn to Cass. Whenever she needed advice, Rapunzel ran to her. Cassandra was the one thing she couldn’t lose in her life. Everyone else she could leave behind, but the princess had no idea what she would do if Cass were to walk out one day. It may be hard to lower Cass’s walls, but it would be worth it to have Cassandra by her side. 

Rapunzel let go of Eugene’s hands and without a word turned to face who she had been waiting for all this time. 

Cass had finally stopped. Her back was to Rapunzel, her dark black hair covering her face. Rapunzel sighed in relief. After all her hard work, this was finally hers. She caught her breath and let herself relax. Nothing could hold her back now. 

Rapunzel reached out a hand and sighed in relief as she felt Cass’s solid form underneath it. She pulled Cass around, ready to finally feel those dark lips against her own. As she did so, slanted eyes met hers along with a familiar unsettling smile. 

Rapunzel’s eyes went wide as fear overtook the happiness she had just felt. Instead of Cassandra, Gothel stared back at her. A sickly-sweet smile grazed the woman’s cheeks as Cass’s knight amour gave way to a red satin dress. Rapunzel found she couldn't breathe as she started to slowly back away. Gothel’s dark eyes pined Rapunzel where she stood making the princess freeze mid-step. 

“Why, if it isn’t my sweet flower?” Gothel cooed as she took a step closer to Rapunzel. She reached out a hand to pull her fingers through Rapunzel’s hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy to see me before!” 

“You-you’re dead!” Rapunzel stuttered in shock. 

“The mumbling Rapunzel!” Gothel sighed as she pulled her fingers free from the princess’s hair. “You know how I hate the mumbling!” 

“Pascal tripped you, you fell out the window.” Rapunzel continued her voice clearer now. 

“Ah yes that little pest you befriended certainly did a number on your dear old mother, but don’t worry dear.” Gothel eyed Rapunzel. All imaginary kindness in her eyes disappeared. “I’ll never leave you.” 

“No no no!” Rapunzel insisted, feeling the anxiety from before coming back. Everything she had tried to do had suddenly became undone underneath her adopted mother’s eyes. All the confidence she had gained from this nightmarish experience had gone as quickly as it came. “You’re not real, none of this is real!” 

“Oh, I am very real,” Gothel said as she cleared the space between them. She occupied Rapunzel’s view so that all she could see were those terrifying dark eyes. The ones that had always looked at her like an object, something to be used and profited off of. “You may think that you’re free, enlighten even, but you’ll never be able to escape the tower.” 

Rapunzel’s heart was beating so loud and so hard that she could barely hear Gothel. She tried to take a step back but with each attempt, Gothel followed. Nothing was more terrifying than the woman glaring down at her and the worst part was that she was right. 

“The tower’s gone, I’m nothing but dust in the wind yet I’m still here, aren’t I?” Gothel continued. She placed a finger on Rapunzel’s forehead and a chill ran down Rapunzel’s spine. “I’m alive up here my sweet. I’m in the shadows you avoid, the anxieties that keep you up at night, every check over your shoulder. No matter where you go, I follow, no matter what you do, I’m there and if you can’t get rid of something dead and gone, how are you going to free yourself from the living chains around you?" 

Rapunzel tripped as she walked backward. She fell on the palms of her hands as she looked up at Gothel. The witch’s shadow loomed over her, casting a freezing chill over the princess. Gothel laughed that deep, wicked laugh that never failed to put Rapunzel on edge. It bounced off the walls until it was all she could hear. 

“Look at you!” Gothel cackled. “Just a naive, little princess who can barely stand on her feet. Give up this foolish idea of freedom. After all, your first attempt didn’t work out as you expected, did it?” 

Three figures joined Gothel, trapping Rapunzel in a square. Adira, her father, Eugene, and Gothel all stood above her with condescending grins. Gothel was right. Rapunzel had tried to find freedom in Corona but that only resulted in her being locked up further and when she tried to escape on the road, another destiny had taken over what she truly wanted. 

“Give up Rapunzel,” Gothel said. “Your destiny, your life, it belongs to us.” 

No no no! Rapunzel thought desperately. This couldn’t be it; this was not her destiny! Yet the more Gothel spoke, the more Rapunzel saw the truth. She was just something for people to toy with, useless against the desires of others. She had tried to push past it, tell people what she truly wanted but all she was doing was playing a losing game. 

Then came the thought. The part of her mind that relished in her new attitude, that wanted her to go further and further into the darkness. Rapunzel had tried pushing it back, only tapping into it when need be. She had tried it her way, the way she had always done it. Through perseverance and trying to sway people with her words. Perhaps instead of hearing everyone else out she should just take what she wants, put them in their place before they could assign her one. 

She let go. She gave in to her darkest desires, she gave into the power of decay, she gave in to what she wanted. Her hair went pitch black as she closed her eyes. The familiar, comforting chill came over it. It shocked her out of her senses, soothing the emotions that were clouding her mind. 

“I don’t belong to ANYONE!” Rapunzel yelled as she threw her head back. Her eyes shot open as she felt a ripple come out of her chest. Nothing less of a shockwave hit the four around her. They were thrown backward, their bodies turning to blackened char before disappearing into dust. Quiet fell over the room once again. 

Rapunzel forced herself to her feet, breathing heavily. The power that had hungrily called for her was satisfied now, slinking back into the shadows of her mind where it would wait. Rapunzel waited for the fake but all too real people to come back but they never did. It had worked. 

Rapunzel couldn’t resist the smile that crossed her face. It had felt good just like she thought it would. It trumped every good deed she had done, every time she brought someone else joy over her own. Despite how good it felt, Rapunzel knew she has to be careful. But...using it here and there couldn’t hurt. She allowed herself to breathe again, relishing in the solitude. 

“They’re relentless, aren’t they?” A voice Rapunzel never heard before broke through the peace. 

She whipped around to face them, ready to do whatever it took to get rid of whoever had spoken. Rapunzel didn't have the patience for a conversation and she certainly wasn't ready to discuss with anyone what had just happened. 

A small, wispy figure of a girl stood a few feet away. Her smile was a little too smug as if she thought that she was teaching Rapunzel a lesson she hadn’t signed up for. Rapunzel turned around to fully face the girl. She crossed her arms and glared down at the blue stranger. 

“What do you want?” She asked. 

“I want to help you, princess.” The girl lifted herself off the ground and Rapunzel did her best to hide her surprise. She hovered a few inches away from Rapunzel’s nose, her blue eyes staring deep into Rapunzel’s. 

“What makes you think that I need help?” Rapunzel asked again. She settled into a more comfortable position, leaning back slightly to look more relaxed. She didn’t want this strange ghost girl to think she had been unsettled despite how shaken Rapunzel really was. For years people had been able to manipulate her through her emotions and perhaps being more careful with them would help her take control. 

“Well, I feel as if I have some advice you may find useful.” The ghost continued. The ghost girl threw out a light blue hand, grinning mischievously. “Zhan Tiri, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Rapunzel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this chapter took too long to get right and I don't even think I completely nailed it but it's definitely the best out of the 4+ drafts it originated from. 
> 
> Thanks for reading again! Sorry, this one took a little bit longer but I'm finished with my semester now and with nothing but this to-do updates may be more frequent. At the very least maybe I'll stop writing these in the middle of the night but one can only hope.


	4. Tea for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhan Tiri and Rapunzel chat about life, girls, and why you should destroy an entire kingdom  
> You know, girl talk

Rapunzel couldn’t hide the shock on her face when Zhan Tiri introduced herself. Her shoulders tensed as she took a step back. Needless to say, Rapunzel never thought that she would meet the infamous demon who had tried to destroy Corona a millennium ago. Even if she had, Rapunzel wouldn’t have come up with this image, a ghost girl that barely made it up to her knees. Rapunzel would have expected something more devilish. Perhaps a set of horns or cloven hooves, something less...innocent. 

“Zhan Tiri?” Rapunzel asked, a little unsure. “And what makes you think I’d believe that?” 

“Ah, I like that.” Zhan Tiri said proudly as she began to float in a circle around Rapunzel. The princess had to keep turning around to keep an eye on the demon. “Not trusting anyone is always a good start. You can only rely on yourself and of course, those that blindly follow.” 

The demon floated down on the ground and started to walk away. She had a smug expression on her face and seemed relaxed in the presence of the princess. It reminded Rapunzel all too much of Gothel and it put her on edge. Zhan Tiri had an endgame, perhaps a new way of trying to hold Rapunzel down. 

“Why are you telling me that?” Rapunzel asked again, her eyes never once leaving the translucent light blue form. 

“I have a lot I want to tell you.” Zhan Tiri replied, turning around to face Rapunzel. 

With a wave of her pale blue hand, a table and two chairs appeared out of nowhere. A teapot sat harmlessly on top of a white tablecloth that looked like the one that had been at dinner. “Care for some tea?” 

“How do I know there’s nothing in it?” Rapunzel pointed her chin out as she glared at the teapot. 

“Questions questions! Is that all you have to say?” Zhan Tiri laughed. “No need to worry dear, in fact, you already ate the meal down below and I could have put anything in that. Please, have a seat.” 

Rapunzel slowly walked over to the table. After running what felt like miles, she wasn’t about to pass up the chance to sit down. She fell into the chair, sighing as the weight was taken off her legs. Zhan Tiri filled her cup with steamy brown liquid and set it in front of Rapunzel before taking a seat herself. 

“Now, I’ll be honest,” Zhan Tiri began. “When the heir to the Cornanan throne and her friends walked through Tromus’s door I was beyond delighted! After hundreds of years, here was my chance to get back at the vile kingdom Demanitus held so dearly. I had so many ideas on how to trick and torture you during your stay, but it was just so hard to pick just one. You know how it is.” 

Rapunzel nodded slowly. She hadn’t expected the demon hellbent on destroying Corona to be so...friendly. It felt like Rapunzel was talking to another noble or one of the pub thugs instead of Zhan Tiri. She took a slow sip from her teacup as the demon continued. 

“Then I remembered, endgame.” Zhan Tiri said, emphasizing the word with a downward motion with both hands. “Even if I trapped you and your friends here forever, Corona would still be standing. No, I need to see that kingdom fall, I need a way out to do it. So, I began sizing up which one of your friends would help me do just that.” 

“Why not me?” Rapunzel was slightly offended that she hadn’t run through the demon’s mind during this time. “I’m am the princess of Corona after all. My influence over the kingdom’s affairs goes far beyond that of my friends.” 

“While that may be true,” Zhan Tiri answered. “I assumed that the princess of the kingdom wouldn’t be up to the challenge of destroying it, mentally and physically.” There was a brief pause where Rapunzel felt Zhan Tiri’s burn holes in her. “I may have been wrong.” 

Satisfied with the answer, Rapunzel leaned back in her chair. She went to take another sip of tea, curiosity about who Zhan Tiri originally had her sights on plaguing her. “Who did you have in mind? 

“Cassandra of course.” Zhan Tiri stated as if it was obvious. 

The princess’s eyes went wide, and she nearly spit out her drink after hearing her friend’s name come out of the demon’s mouth. Zhan Tiri really had her eyes on Cass for her evil plan? Rapunzel wasn’t sure what emotion to follow first, protectiveness or jealousy. Her first instinct was to high tail it out of there, grab Cass, and bring her far, far away from the scheming demon’s clutches but a strange new kind of spite was interfering with that thought. 

How come Zhan Tiri hadn’t immediately gone after Rapunzel? Cassandra may have been a loyal soldier but at the end of the day, wouldn’t a princess have more ability to destroy the kingdom? Rapunzel lowered her eyebrows, glaring at the demon as she set her teacup down. She would have to deal with this jealousy later, at least she might find out where Cass was now. 

“What did you do to her?” Rapunzel asked. While it was phrased as a question, Rapunzel’s tone emphasized a warning. If Zhan Tiri had hurt one hair on Cassandra’s pretty little head, she would have a lot more to worry about than finding the perfect host. 

“Oh, don’t worry.” Zhan Tiri replied with a wave of her hand. “She’s in the basement, angrier than before, but fine. 

“The basement?” Rapunzel hadn’t seen any signs of a lower level than the one the dining hall was on. 

“Well, I originally planned on bringing her elsewhere, somewhere we could have a little one on one time.” Zhan Tiri said. “Validate her feelings of feeling less than, second place, and give her the option to show everyone what’s she made of. One thing would lead to another and that girl would be bringing down Corona in less than a year.” 

“I honestly don’t see why you would pick Cass for that,” Rapunzel grumbled like a spoiled child who hadn’t been picked for a team. 

“She was perfect!” Zhan Tiri blurted out, taking Rapunzel aback. “The captain of the guard’s own daughter! She’s well-versed in Corona’s defensives, knows the underground tunnels of the kingdom like the back of her hand, and not a half-bad fighter.” Zhan Tiri sighed contently as she leaned back in her chair like she was imagining a pleasant vacation. “Tie in the inferiority issues and emotional vulnerability and it was kismet! She was already on the brick and just needs a little extra push to send her right over the edge!” 

Rapunzel found herself taking notes on what the demon was saying. Despite Rapunzel’s original jealousy, Zhan Tiri had a point. Cass was a threat to Corona and if she had fallen into the wrong hands it could have meant disastrous things. While Rapunzel would never admit it, she was planning on using Zhan Tiri’s plan of action if things went south when she confronted Cass. While she was confident in her ability to seduce the warrior, it never hurt to have a back-up plan. 

A silence followed as Zhan Tiri paused to take a drink. How a ghost could even do that was beyond Rapunzel, but she didn’t have time to think about it as she watched the demon’s eyes look over her cup. They settled on Rapunzel and she did her best to not let herself feel the shiver. Having a powerful demon look at you would have been unsettling to anyone, but Rapunzel found a strange sense of pride in it. Zhan Tiri’s eyes were finally where they were supposed to be. 

“I saw what you were doing in your room.” Zhan Tiri said. “And I had to change my plans 

just a little. The princess of Corona wanting nothing to do with her kingdom? I couldn’t pass up that opportunity. I would have to convince Cassandra to destroy Corona but for you, why, it’ll be easy and not to mention so very convenient for you to help me with my little problem.” 

“I beg your pardon?” Rapunzel asked, her tone growing icy. “I’m not exactly the selfless type anymore.” 

“Of course not,” The demon insisted with a dismissing wave of her hand. “I’m talking about a partnership.” 

“Pfft, please.” Rapunzel nearly laughed. “I’m not going to aid a demon in destroying Corona, in fact, I have no option of the place at all anymore.” She stood up and lazily stretched her arms out. She grinned down at Zhan Tiri, confident that she had successfully ended this conversation. “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go get Cass out of the basement and leave this place and Corona forever.” 

She turned and began to walk away before Zhan Tiri’s voice stopped her. 

“I didn’t think you’d be that nearsighted.” She mused. 

Rapunzel looked behind her shoulder, once again taking offense from the statement. She was anything but irrational in her plan. Zhan Tiri was looking at her own half-full teacup before looking up at Rapunzel. 

“Like you even know what you’re talking about.” Rapunzel shot back, her eyes slanting. “Weren’t you defeated by your former partner?” 

“Relationships may be an area where I lack expertise, but I know I wouldn’t like it very much if my girlfriend ran away with another woman.” Zhan Tiri asked. “Throw in the fact that she is not only a child of royalty but one that had gone missing before. They would do anything to find you again Rapunzel, anything.” 

“Explain,” Rapunzel demanded, crossing her arms as she turned to face the demon again. 

“The Dark Kingdom is only a few days from here, the Moonstone with it.” Zhan Tiri continued. “If someone else were to take it and follow you...well, the black rocks found you once before…And once they have right back where they want you, you’ll never be free again.” 

Rapunzel stiffened. Zhan Tiri had a point, again. She had seen the destruction the black rocks left behind in its search to find the Sundrop. If somebody knew how to harness that power, then it would only be a matter of time before Rapunzel was under lock and key again. Her jaw set as she tried to think of a way out of it. 

“Face it, princess,” Zhan Tiri said, breaking into Rapunzel’s thoughts. “The only way for you to be free is to have Corona fall.” 

“I’ll take it,” Rapunzel said suddenly. “The moonstone. With twice the power I’ll be unstoppable.” 

Rapunzel didn’t want to destroy Corona. As of right now, it was simply another tower, but she had left that once before. If it took a stroke of luck for a wayward thief to find her 18 years after her kidnapping, then the possibility of the Corona guard finding her again was unlikely. This time she wouldn’t be staying in one place too and if she wielded the power of both the Sundrop and Moonstone people would think twice about crossing her. 

It seemed like the perfect solution and Rapunzel felt herself become cocky again. Zhan Tiri was trying to get into her head, that’s all. She wanted someone else to do her dirty work, but Rapunzel wasn’t about to let herself fall into another one-sided relationship. 

“Oh,” Zhan Tiri gasped in surprise. “Has Adira forgotten to tell you what will happen if you do that?” 

Rapunzel screwed up her face in confusion. As far as she was concerned, nothing would happen. The two celestial powers would be reunited, and Rapunzel would have control over the black rocks. She slowly shook her head no to Zhan Tiri’s question, trying to gauge if the demon was lying to her or not 

“Let’s just say...it’ll be...” Zhan Tiri said as she lifted her teacup off the table. She looked over it with interest before she let go of the handle. It fell onto the ground and shattered into a thousand pieces. The brown liquid began staining the carpet as Zhan Tiri met Rapunzel’s eyes again. “Explosive.” 

Rapunzel’s eyes went wide. The message was loud and clear. Taking the Moonstone would be it for Rapunzel. It wouldn’t matter what she wanted after, there would be nothing left for her, literally. She’d be gone, 19 years and barely made any mark on the world. She felt her heart begin to race as the end loomed over her. 

This was getting more complicated by the second. Rapunzel couldn’t trust Adira and she sure as hell couldn’t trust Zhan Tiri. Both sides were pulling her in different directions and her mind split between the two of them. The old Rapunzel wanted to run towards Adria and trust her to know what’s right while this new side of her wanted to side with the demon. The princess’s head began aching again as she tried to find a way out of this. 

She had to keep her head on straight. If she couldn’t take the Moonstone, she would have to make it so that no one else could. Destroying Corona was out of the question. It would take more time than it was worth and if someone loyal to the kingdom held the Moonstone it would be even harder to overthrow. 

There had to be some way out of this, some loophole Rapunzel hadn’t considered. Her mind was still foggy from the ordeal before the conversation and she swore that Zhan Tiri slipped something into her tea, after all, to mess with her head. Rapunzel couldn’t hide the traces of panic that crossed her face. Her right eye twitched uncontrollably and she could feel sweat run down her brow. 

“You want to know the best part of this place?” Zhan Tiri asked. It was an incredibly off-topic question and Rapunzel’s head was still spinning. She didn’t acknowledge Zhan Tiri, but the demon continued talking as if Rapunzel had. “I didn’t make it, one of my disciples did. When Demanitus stuck me in that god awful dimension, I was able to come here.” 

“As useful as that is,” Rapunzel said, her voice dripping in sarcasm. 

“He did the dirty work, found all the right spells and enchantments to bring me here and all I had to do was wait.” Zhan Tiri cut her off this time. “I hardly lifted a finger. The same goes for a few of my other followers. They used to be pupils of my sworn enemy, but I swayed them to my side. Excellent spies those three were, letting me know every single plan Demanitus had. 

The words cleared Rapunzel’s head and her breakthrough came. It was that simple. If she couldn’t take the Moonstone, she could get someone else to. It wouldn’t be as convenient as wielding both but if Rapunzel played her cards right, she could control whoever took it like a puppet. It would have to be someone strong and willing to follow Rapunzel. 

A smile broke across Rapunzel’s face. There was only one woman for the job and Rapunzel knew where to find her. Cass would be perfect. Loyal, sweet, easy on the eyes, and willing to do anything to protect the princess. What more could a girl want? Rapunzel could promise Cass the Moonstone, taking it would give her unbelievable power and make the two equals in Cass’s eyes. 

For once, her destiny was intact. In a few days she would be walking through the woods, Cass’s hand in hers. She would get her freedom and nobody in Corona would have to get hurt in the process. They could have their life and Rapunzel could have hers. Rapunzel titled her chin up Zhan Tiri as confidence came back into her system, this time staying for good. 

“Well, I wish I could say this has been a pleasure, but my mother told me not to lie,” Rapunzel said as she turned to walk away. The once solid wall dissolved into a door as Rapunzel approached it. She pushed down the handle, not glancing back at the demon. She knew where she was going, just one more stop before she could leave this Shellhouse behind. 

The door shut behind her with a soft click and Rapunzel was in the hallway again. She turned down the corridor, swaying her hips as she went. Rapunzel had entered the door lost, both in the Shellhouse and in her mind but she left it more confident than ever. Nothing would get in her way now. 

She found the ground floor and a set of stairs leading downwards closely after. Rapunzel slowly walked down them, her bare feet making no noise as she went. She could hear Cass grunting angrily from the top step and Rapunzel smiled with glee. Rapunzel just couldn’t wait for her life to finally begin. 

As Rapunzel left, she missed Zhan Tiri’s smile as the demon began to laugh to herself. She watched the princess disappear behind the door with satisfaction. 

“And my mother told me not to play with fire, but it can be so much fun.” Zhan Tiri said as she rubbed her hands together. The seed had been planted and with a little time and care it would grow to be the most disastrous and last thing the kingdom of Corona would ever face. 

Rapunzel would be more of a wild card than Cassandra would have been. Cassandra’s emotions had been understandable, but Rapunzel’s could be disastrous. One wrong move and everything could go to hell faster than the demon could blink, but what was wrong with a little fun after a millennium of imprisonment? 

No, this would be very fun, and Zhan Tiri couldn’t wait.


	5. A Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass and Raps get a little one on one time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay real quick, this is based on tovanori on twitter dark rap's au. I put in the tags but since I kinda yoinked their dialogue in this chapter and it was the entire basis for the chapter, I'm putting it here too. Had to get rid of the gay panic line but know that it was there originally and is always in my heart.

Fuck the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow, fuck its stupid hallway leading me in the same goddamn direction over and over again and fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. 

Cassandra grumbled this over and over under her breath as she stomped through the seemingly endless hallway. With a sword in her hand and anger in her eyes, whoever stuck her here was going to rue the day it decided to mess with Cass. All she had wanted was some time alone to brood but noooo, she couldn’t even have that anymore apparently. 

She stalked around one of the corners, her red cape snapping behind her as she did. Nothing had gone right in the past 24 hours and it seemed that the universe was hellbent on making Cass’s life more unbearable than it already was. She half-expected Adria to pop out of nowhere and point out a magical exit that she found on her stupid little map because that was how the day was going. 

Cass did a quick scan of the corridor she walked through on the off chance that she had miraculously found the way out. She was not pleasantly surprised. The same old corridor greeted her, and Cass only got angrier. For once, could something go right? Just one itsy bitsy little time could she make it through the day without anyone second-guessing her and Rapunzel making eyes at her? 

A shiver went down Cass’s spine as her thoughts lingered on that last one. Rapunzel had always been giving her side glances and holding on a little too tightly during hugs ever since the lagoon but recently it had gone off the rails. Cass couldn’t do so much as eat without Rapunzel gazing at her like she was the sun, and the worst part was that Cass liked it. 

She revealed in Rapunzel giving her this kind of attention, her gaze fixed on the warrior instead of the princess’s idiot of a boyfriend. Cass resisted the smug smiles and temptations as she soldiered on in forced solitude. It had become an art form at this point as she tried to keep her head on straight whenever she and Rapunzel were alone. Sure, her tactics involved running away and keeping herself busy but hey, she hadn’t run away into the woods with Rapunzel yet so something must be working. 

Cass sighed as she continued walking through her personal hell. How long would she have to keep doing this? This hallway was becoming a metaphor for Cass’s life and she wasn’t enjoying it one bit. Constantly walking in circles because someone had put her there for their own amusement reminded her all too much of her work to become a guard. If she just got the chance to do something, anything at all they would all see just how worthy she was of the position, but her chances never came. She sighed as she turned the corner, ready to see the same shit again but this time Cassandra was in for a surprise. 

A set of amber eyes watched her from the darkness. Cass took a step back in surprise and felt her heart begin to race. Those hadn’t been there before; Cass had checked the shadows of the room for anything and they had all come up empty. A shiver ran down Cass’s spine as the eyes stayed focused on her, pining Cass in place like a bug. The two stared at each other as Cass tried to decipher why they felt so familiar. It took a few seconds but once the realization sunk in, the knight almost fell backward. 

Those eyes belonged to Rapunzel. Something was wrong, something was terribly wrong. Cass thought it was a fluke the first time she saw it, a weird trick of the light after she restored Rapunzel’s memories. The eyes had haunted her, not just because of their color but the way they had recognized what was going on. Rapunzel knew Cass had seen her and she had smiled. It had sent shivers down Cassandra’s back that hadn’t gone away for the next three days. 

Since then, Rapunzel had been acting out of character. Her hair across her forehead had switched from right to left, she had become disinterested in anything that wasn’t exciting to her, and worse of all, her eyes had begun to linger on Cass for far too long. Staring at Cassandra while Eugene sat at her side as the knight chopped firewood or trained with her uninjured hand. 

At first, Cass thought Rapunzel was still acting weird about burning Cass’s hand on accident, but this wasn’t the worried Rapunzel look. No, this was the way she looked at Cass that night at the lagoon, the night Cass made the biggest mistake of her life and it seemed like it had come back to haunt her. 

Unsure of what to do, Cass had resulted to running away. It was the easiest and, since they were so close to the Dark Kingdom, perhaps everything would be solved once the black rocks went away. Rapunzel would go back to being a princess and Cass might get the chance to be a Royal Gaurd. 

Whenever they were alone, Cass would pretend to either be asleep or too busy cleaning her blades to talk. Having a knife or sword in her hand helped Cass focus and keep Rapunzel’s prying eyes at bay. During the day, she had become a whirlwind of activity. She took on the mass majority of the chores to keep herself far away from Rapunzel. 

Old Rapunzel would have gotten the message and left Cass alone, but this new version took it in stride. Even in pubic, Rapunzel would find any way to make Cass go red. Compliments that were far from friendly, touches that Cass should have only seen done to Eugene and never feel on herself had become far more common now. 

It all became so infuriating. No matter what Cass did, she just couldn’t win, and she could feel herself wearing thin. She couldn’t deal with this anymore. At this moment where the two were utterly alone, Cass found a new confidence. She was sick and tired of running. Whatever was going on with Rapunzel, Cassandra could fix it. She turned her back into a human and she restored her memories. Whatever was haunting Rapunzel would have to face the wrath of Cassandra and oh boy did she have a lot of it. 

Cass took a deep breath, feeling her arms shake underneath as she did before storming over to the shadows. Rapunzel started to slowly walk out, that lazy smile only furthering Cass’s rage. She grabbed Rapunzel by the shoulders on the off chance the princess would have fled. 

“Who are you and what the hell have you done with Raps?” Cassandra demanded, gripping Rapunzel's shoulders a little too tightly. 

Rapunzel stared at Cassandra with blank eyes. Cass expected her to say that she was just feeling off lately, still uncomfortable about the whole burning Cass’s hand beyond healing conversation. Instead, a smile that Cass had never seen before on Rapunzel crossed her face. This wasn’t a bashful, you caught me! Kind of smile but a lazy, confident one. As if all of this was all a game and it was only getting better now that Cass knew about it. 

Rapunzel blinked and Cassandra realized that Rapunzel’s eyes weren’t just an off-putting gold now instead of the bright green from before. The whites of them had turned black, making her new iris stand out even more. Black started to creep out of the roots of her hair as the grin on the princess’s face only grew wider. Cass felt her hands begin to shake as she watched her friend transform into a stranger before her eyes. 

“Well, I thought I was doing a fine job of being old Rapunzel,” Raps voice sounded eerily the same but, more playful. Her golden eyes gazed at Cassandra with that same affection that had been haunting Cass’s every step the last few days. “But then again you do pay so much more attention to me…” 

Cass felt her face go red. It was one thing to have normal Raps looking at her like that. It had been innocent before and Cass could comfort herself with the thought that Rapunzel would just grow out of it. Now she looked at Cass like she was a goddess stepped down from heaven, her eyes roaming freely over Cass’s muscular form. 

Keep your head on soldier! Scolded Cassandra as she could feel Rapunzel undressing her with her eyes. 

Raps reached out her hand to brush the back of her fingers against Cass’s cheek. Cass flinched backward, letting go of Rapunzel's shoulders as she did. Her touch was like electricity, sending a shock like no other through the knight. 

“Who are you?” Growled Cassandra again, trying to keep her mind straight. 

“I’m who I’ve always been Cassandra.” Rapunzel feinted interest in her hand, looking at Cassandra from the corner of her eye. “And I’m finally ready to take what I want.” 

Cassandra’s heartbeat went into overdrive. She was part of this want, Rapunzel wanted to take her. In Cass’s wildest fantasies, she had been the one to charm Rapunzel and take her away from the kingdom. She had been the one to chase after Rapunzel but now the tables were turned. Cass couldn’t help the sense of pride she got from being wanted, for something Rapunzel wanted to take. The princess walked towards the knight, a hunger in her eyes Cass had never seen before and it wasn’t just for the other woman. 

“For years I’ve been selfless, putting other people’s needs in front of my own.” Rapunzel began, her voice losing its playfulness as it became sharp. “Gothel….my parents….” She paused as she lingered on Cassandra’s eyes for a moment. “Eugene. Always what they wanted. I stayed in place for years when I longed to be free. Forcing myself to live a life I have never asked for or wanted.” 

Rapunzel was right in front of Cassandra now. Her golden eyes gazing at Cassandra like she was a meal. Cass froze underneath Rapunzel's gaze. How many times had she wanted to feel her this close? She had spent long nights of little sleep imagining what it would feel like to elope with Rapunzel, have the princess leave everything behind and come with her. And here she was, looking at Cassandra the way Cassandra had been looking at Rapunzel and wanting the same things...but why didn’t it feel right? Guilt despite not doing anything consumed the knight as Rapunzel lifted her arms to drape them around Cassandra’s neck. 

Cassandra’s beating heart froze. She could feel the softness of Rapunzel's skin against her neck, feel her breath on her lips. That lazy smile just centimeters away from Cassandra’s own lips. She would just have to move a little closer, tilt her head slightly to capture them with her own. The memory of Rapunzel’s lips from the lagoon came back to her, soft, wanting underneath her own. 

“But not anymore, I’m taking what I want,” Rapunzel said. “And I want you to join me, Cassandra.” 

Cassandra was definitely not in the right headspace to be making major life decisions. She was having enough trouble fending off the mess of feelings she was falling into. Rapunzel was enjoying this, that much was for sure. She was staring shamelessly at Cassandra’s red lips, having the same thoughts Cassandra was. Having her like this was intoxicating. Cassandra could feel herself getting lost in Rapunzel's eyes and the flowery smell that never quite let her go despite the year on the road overwhelmed her senses. She wanted nothing more than to close the distance, accept Rapunzel's proposal but if there was one thing Cassandra had perfected it was the art of pushing down her emotions and dredging forward. 

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and counted to 10. She gently placed her hands on Rapunzel's arms and slipped them off of her neck. Rapunzel slanted her eyes as Cass took a step back, not letting go of Rapunzel quite yet. 

“Raps,” Cass said as calmly as she could manage. “This isn’t like you; you should get some rest and I promise it’ll all go away.” 

“Is that what you’ve been telling yourself for years, Cass?” Rapunzel asked. The words hit a chord and Cass couldn’t help but flinch. “That the feelings you have for me will just go away by morning? Did the kiss at the lagoon go away Cass once you closed your eyes for the night? I didn’t haunt your dreams for months afterward?” 

“Alright Raps you know what,” Cass growled. This was just rude. Cass may have been a lower station than Rapunzel, but she wasn’t going to let Rapunzel judge her like this. She let go of Rapunzel’s arms, grateful for Rapunzel’s cold words to cool her down. “You’re really not in a position to be talking to me like this, Mrs. Fitzherbert.” 

“Ah yes, him,” Rapunzel grumbled with a roll of her eyes. “I’m afraid Eugene and I won’t be making it to see that wedding day.” 

“What do you mean?” Cass asked. Even now the possibility of a chance with Rapunzel was enticing. 

“Not really my type.” 

“And what would that be exactly?” The words were out before Cass could stop them and she cursed herself for doing so right after. Rapunzel looked over at Cass, a smug, satisfied smile on her face. The knight was only making this easier for the princess. 

“Powerful, caring, smart,” Rapunzel humored Cass as she let her golden eyes roam over Cass’s form again. “Possess the ability to help me break away from this cursed position I’ve been forced into.” 

“Yeah, cause being a princess is sooooo bad,” Cass rolled her eyes, mostly so she could break the intense eye contact Rapunzel was making with her. “Sorry that you didn’t turn out to be a commoner’s daughter Raps.” 

“I never asked for it, Cass.” Rapunzel raised her voice for a brief second before lowering it again. Now it was Cass’s turn to be smug. She crossed her arms, proud of herself for bringing an emotion out of Rapunzel that didn’t match her shit-eating grin. “It was a position I would have turned away if given the chance. I want to explore the world, not sit on a throne.” 

“Well, there could be worse places to be,” Cass growled as her own situation came to mind. That was a mistake. Rapunzel suddenly shifted back to how she was before, and that beautiful but terrifying smile came back. 

“Don’t tell me that it hasn’t been the same for you,” Rapunzel said. “You’ve been training with the guard since you were 6 and yet your own father would rather give Flynn Rider a chance than let his daughter join the ranks. Pushed into a servant position you’re overqualified for, cast into the shadows for your entire life, always someone standing you up and forgotten by everyone the second you’re out of your flickering spotlight.” 

“Is there a but in this sentence?” Barked Cassandra, Rapunzel's words stinging. 

“But if you join me, that will all go away,” Rapunzel promised. “You can show them all what you’re capable of. You can be the fierceness warrior and I can be a brave adventurer. We can both be free of their expectations and rules. We’ll have each other and the open road with nothing to weigh us down. Flying free like before. Take the Moonstone, Cassandra, claim your density, and embrace the future with me.” 

Rapunzel held out her hand, a smile across her face. The thought was enticing, something Cassandra had wanted for years now but never had the guts to say aloud. She had been pushed aside her entire life, her future a thing for other people to play with. This was a chance to take control again, she’d be stupid to pass it up...right? Cassandra looked into Rapunzel's eyes, still unnerved by the sharp gold that replaced the warm green. This wasn’t her Rapunzel but why did it feel like she was? Why was Cass falling for a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Her hands balled into fists at her side, turning away from Rapunzel's stare. 

“I... can’t Raps,” Cass muttered. “We can’t. You have to go back; your density is with the people of Corona.” 

“Well.” Rapunzel sounded disappointed but not surprised. Cass didn’t have the nerve to make eye contact with the girl. “I can’t say I’m not surprised. You are stubborn and selfless, it’s annoying but admirable. I just didn’t want it to come to this.” 

Cass furrowed her eyebrows. What was she going to do, attack her? Cass whipped her head around to see Rapunzel walking closer again. The knight mentally prepared herself for Rapunzel to press up against her again. She couldn’t lose her focus, not when she was this close to preventing a disaster. 

“What do you mean?” Cass asked, suppressing the urge to pull out her sword. 

“Taking the moonstone will kill me, Cass,” Rapunzel warned, her eyes ghosting Cassandra’s. “That much power could be too much for one person to handle.” 

Panic overtook Cass. Even in this state, Cassandra couldn’t let Rapunzel die. Even if she hated to admit it, she loved Rapunzel and couldn’t bear to watch her die when she could have done something to prevent it...but, what if she was lying? What if this new Raps would manipulate Cassandra into doing her bidding? What if this was a ploy to have Cass firmly under her thumb all over again. 

These questions and conflicts were met by their opposites. The voice of Cassandra’s head, the one that Cass ignored daily finally got its words heard. Would it be that bad if she took the Moonstone? She’d save Rapunzel's life and get to start a new life with the princes. Isn’t that what she always wanted? Didn’t she deserve that? 

Cass took a step back, trying to organize her thoughts. She placed her head in her hands as she tried to focus on her duty. Cass heard Rapunzel walk behind her and her warm hands settled on top of Cassandra’s shoulders. Rapunzel leaned in next to Cass’s ears, her voice just above a whisper. 

“The choice is yours, Cass,” Rapunzel whispered. “Live with me or let me die.” 

Cass turned to face her, unaware that she was shaking. Rapunzel’s left hand traced Cassandra’s chin, lightly pulling the other girl into a kiss. It was quick, a peck on the lips and nothing more. It wasn’t supposed to quench the fire in Cass’s gut, only make it burn brighter and hotter than before. Behind it held a promise for power, for freedom, for love. 

The princess pulled away, her eyes drifting over Cassandra’s features one last time before turning away. The shadows consumed her as she went, leaving Cassandra alone. Cass could still feel the kiss on her lips, her brain fried from the whole ordeal. The choice she had to make was obvious, she couldn’t let Rapunzel die but she couldn’t let her stay like this either. Something wicked had taken over her and Cassandra refused to let it stay as long as it liked. 

She had time, not a lot but some. They hadn’t reached the Dark Kingdom yet, perhaps she could find a cure for whatever was going on. There had to be a book or a person who had answers. Who knows? The Moonstone might not even kill Rapunzel it could just make her more powerful than she already was. But a more powerful Rapunzel in this state wasn’t the ideal choice either. 

Yet a voice in her head whispered something else. Take the Moonstone, live with Rapunzel. It’s the bare minimum that Cassandra deserves. Hadn’t she worked her ass off for 16 years after a dream that never came true? Here was her chance to show everyone what she much more than a lady-in-waiting and oh were they not ready for that. She’d be a fool to not take this opportunity and on the plus side, she would get to be Rapunzel. Maybe the Moonstone would corrupt her to in the way Rapunzel was being corrupted then they would see eye to eye again, they’d be happy again. 

Cassandra pressed her face into her good hand. Her head was pounding from the ethics and decisions she had to deceive in the days coming. No matter what she chooses, somebody would be mad at her whether it be Rapunzel, Fitzherbert, or the entire kingdom of Corona. One thing was for sure, she was utterly damned if she took the Moonstone. She’d lose her father, her few friends, and the only chance at being on guard she ever had. If she didn’t, she could fight and free Rapunzel from the outside, if she succeeded it might just be enough to finally become a royal guard. 

Despite all these thoughts running through her head, Cassandra could only focus on one thing, the kiss. While it had been quick, but it changed her. She could still feel Raps’s arms around her neck, her lips against her own, and that smile that was so unlike Rapunzel but still made Cassandra weak in the knees. She lowered her hand to her lips, ghosting where Rapunzel had just been, and thought for a brief second that she wouldn’t mind being damned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TECHNICALLY, it's still 2020 where I am so I'm going to say that I posted 5 chapters before the end of the year. Thank you guys for all your support! It really means a lot! Even though I've only been sharing my work publicly for a few weeks now, it has been one of the highlights of this year. Yall are the best and I'm glad you're enjoying the dumb story cause it's going to be a lot of fun.   
> For me, not Cass


	6. No One's Listening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone collectively agrees that Cass will tire herself out eventually and shut up about Rapunzel being evil, like, can you believe that? Rapunzel being evil? I wouldn't know anything about that no sir *nervously sips juice*

Cass didn’t remember leaving The House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Her brain was so fried from the ordeal with Rapunzel that when she found herself standing outside with the entire group looking at her, she could offer no explanation. Rapunzel threw herself at Cass, expecting a hug, but Cass held her arms to her side and closed her eyes. She couldn’t risk another touch or glance pushing her to her own oblivion. 

“I was worried,” Rapunzel whispered in her ear, her voice like oil. “Thought you might have run away from your destiny.” 

Cass didn’t say anything back, refusing to look Raps in the eyes until she felt the other girl let go. Eventually, she did and Cass peeked her eyes open. 

After seeing Rapunzel act the way she did when they were alone, seeing her around the group was like night and day. She beamed that all too familiar smile that had left Cass speechless and blushing while her eyes were their normal shade of green. Not an ounce of black or gold in her but her eyes told a different story. They knew what was going on, that Cass knew her secret, and the choice the warrior would have to make. 

“Where were you?” Rapunzel asked. Cass had to give her credit, she sounded concerned. Whoever Rapunzel was now was a much better actress than the original was. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Mumbled Cass as she took a step away from the princess. She jerked her head in the direction of the Dark Kingdom. “Let’s get moving, huh?” 

Before Rapunzel could do or say anything, Cassandra turned and started walking away. She needed to organize her thoughts and if Rapunzel was around her, that couldn’t happen. 

“Okay then, time to hit the road,” Rapunzel addressed the others but Cass could feel the princess’s gaze turn on her. “Destiny calls.” 

Cass pretended that she didn’t hear Rapunzel’s comment despite the chill that went through her. Her injured hand tingled slightly, the first sense of feeling in weeks. Cass clutched it to her chest, not sure if this was a good or bad thing. 

The group trudged along, everyone wanting to put distance between themselves and the Shellhouse. Eugene and Lance were going on about these dream worlds they had been trapped in, places where everything went according to plan. Lance boasted about an easy, carefree life on a beach with endless sunshine while Eugene talked about a life in the castle with Rapunzel and their children. 

Cass could barely hear them, her thoughts shouting too loud for her to focus on anything else. How they had experienced heaven at the same time Cassandra walked through hell was unfair. Another unlucky break-in Cass’s life. As Eugene went on and on about how he and Rapunzel lived happily ever after, Cass couldn’t help the guilt that overtook her. While he was dancing with a fake princess underneath the moonlit sky, the real thing was busy making a move on Cass. 

She tried to push it away but the jumble of her mind didn’t give her much of a break. It got to the point where she couldn’t even see where she was going, tripping over a root and falling in the dirt. The pain was welcomed as it gave Cass something to focus on. Pain was real, she could understand it. Cass heard Eugene laugh above her and she felt the familiar desire to sweep his feet out from underneath him. 

“Man Cass,” Eugene laughed as he and the rest of the group caught up to Cass. Rapunzel, Lance, and the horses moved on ahead while Eugene took the time to gloat. “Are you feeling okay? That root was more obvious than your crows’ feet.” 

“I’m just, overwhelmed,” Cass said before grasping her first opportunity to bring up Rapunzel’s change. “Speaking of someone feeling off, does Rapunzel seem...different to you?” 

“No why?” Eugene asked. Leave it to a man to not notice anything wrong about his girlfriend. Cass gritted her teeth as she stood up. If she said all out that Rapunzel approached her and told him everything that would expose what they have been doing. Cass would have to come clean about everything she had tried so hard to hide. She would have to find some other way to let him know that didn’t involve spilling her guts about her very private feelings about Rapunzel. 

“Doesn’t she seem off?” Cass whispered as she kept one eye on the princess in front of her. 

“Don’t tell me that your suspicious of Rapunzel of all people now,” Eugene laughed. “This trip must be wearing on you. Why don’t you take a break, somebody can take over your job as constant worrier.” 

Eugene walked away from Cass and up towards Rapunzel. The pair shared a smile before Rapunzel’s eyes turned to focus on Cass. A devilish grin crossed the princess’s features and Cass felt her insides churn. Rapunzel had Cass right where she wanted her. She knew Cass would dance around the subject of her and Rapunzel’s relationship. Cass grimaced and balled her fists, it couldn’t come to that, it wouldn’t. She could find another way to get Eugene to listen. 

Eugene wouldn’t listen to her but he might listen to Lance. If Cass was able to make Lance see the new Rapunzel, it would be 2 against 1. Eugene would have to take a step back and notice and hopefully, they could fix Raps before they reached the Dark Kingdom. Cass looked around, trying to find Lance in their small group. A high-pitched scream grabbed her attention and Cass quickly spun around to meet it. 

Lance was backed up against a tree by a spider so small Cass could barely tell what had frightened him in the first place. Eugene laughed at his friend until he walked face-first in the spider’s web. He let out an equally high-pitched shriek as he frantically tried to pull the webs out of his perfectly groomed hair. These were the same people she had to sway to her side. Cass groaned and placed her head in her hands, already feeling a headache coming on. 

_________________________________________________ 

Later that night, the group gathered around the campfire. Eugene and Lance joked away while Shorty continued to be the nuisance that nobody needed. Cass couldn’t keep her eyes off of Raps but not in the way she was used to. Everything she did seemed so out of character now; it was baffling that no one else but Cassandra had noticed. 

Rapunzel barely paid attention to anyone else, her eyes lazily drifting around. She lingered on the forest and Cass didn’t want to even think about the thoughts going through Rapunzel’s head. The only time she did speak was when someone addressed her and even then, the conversation would only last as long as Rapunzel wanted it to. Eugene tried to ask her where she went in the Shellhouse but Rapunzel shut down the conversation with no more than a glance. 

It was obvious, blatantly obvious yet the only one who seemed to notice was Pascal. The chameleon seemed weary of Rapunzel and Cassandra remembered how he had spent more and more time away from Raps’s shoulder than usual. 

At least the lizards on my side thought Cass as she tossed another stick into the 

campfire. 

Rapunzel stood up and rolled her shoulders before turning away into the woods. Cass quickly looked away from the flames, watching Rapunzel like a hawk. 

“Hey, Blondie, where you off to now?” Eugene asked as he watched his girlfriend disappear into the forest. 

“Just need some fresh air,” Rapunzel responded without looking back. 

“Do you want company?” Eugene asked but the princess was already gone. 

This was her chance; the first bit of luck Cass has had in a long time. She cleared her throat to get the boy’s attention, cutting off the beginning of another one of their old heists. 

“Guys,” Cass hissed. “We have to talk about Rapunzel.” 

“Are you still suspicious about her?” Eugene asked, not trying in the least to keep his voice down. 

“Shhhhh!” Cass whispered, anxiously looking over his shoulder to see if Rapunzel had heard. 

“Cass, blondie is the last person you need to worry about,” Eugene said matter-of-factly. “She’s been on board with this since day one. If you want to put your worrying to good use, worry about Shorty, if anyone’s going to mess us up it’ll be him.” 

“Doesn’t she seem off to you?” Cass insisted. “Less-Rapunzely?” 

“Now that you mention it, she didn’t say the food was delicious and the best thing she’s ever tasted like she always does,” Lance pointed out. 

“You’re taking her side, Lance?” Eugene questioned in disbelief. “Listen, as Rapunzel’s boyfriend I think I would know something was wrong with her before you or Cassandra.” 

“Like when you noticed that she didn’t want to be proposed to the second she got her freedom again?” Shot back Cass. It was low and would do nothing to help her but she couldn’t stop the fire from burning in her. For the millionth time, she thought about how she should have been Rapunzel’s partner, not Eugene. He never noticed what was going on with Rapunzel until it was staring him right in the face. 

“Well, I’m sorry that I have someone I want to spend the rest of my life with who I think wants to do the same with me.” Eugene replied, raising his voice. “But you wouldn’t know what that’s like do you?” 

“You don’t know the first thing about her!” Cass jumped to her feet, glaring daggers at the man in front of her. 

“Oh! Since you’re such an expert on Rapunzel, why don’t you tell me?” Eugene said, getting to his feet. He crossed his arms as he stared down the warrior. Cass felt herself flinch back. She wanted to tell him everything she saw in the princess, every little thing he missed by being too self-obsessed. Like how Rapunzel would bite her bottom lip whenever she got so excited she was nervous or the way she’d be so insufferable annoying it was adorable. Every last thing that Cass obsessed over her threatened to spill out. 

She wanted to tell him how Rapunzel had acted in The House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow. How something tainted and evil had taken over the woman they both loved more than anything in the world. That Rapunzel’s hair had turned black and her eyes became amber and how she became less like Rapunzel than Cass had ever seen her. 

But she couldn’t. If Cass told him that she would have to tell him everything. She would have to tell him about their secret adventures, the lagoon, every touch, glance, and kiss she and Rapunzel had shared. The feelings that Cass didn’t even want to admit to herself that burned through her like fire, that threatened to bring her to her own demise. 

“That’s what I thought,” Eugene said a little too smugly when Cass stayed quiet. Cass gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists. What she would give to wipe that look off his face just once. She could destroy him first by telling him that his girlfriend kissed her than by beating him into a pulp. For the millionth time, she held back. 

Eugene turned and began to walk away. Lance gave her a sympathetic look before following his friend. That hadn’t gone how Cass wanted it to but it could have gone worse. Much worse. The words were on the tip of her tongue and it took everything in her not to spit it out. Cass rubbed her forehead with her hand, trying to calm herself down. She’d have to work on them tomorrow since tonight was all but shot. 

“You seem tense,” 

Cass jumped a foot in the air when she heard Rapunzel behind her. That girl had appeared out of nowhere, scaring the living daylights out of Cass. 

“Jesus Raps!’ Cass exclaimed. Raps smiled lazily at her once again like this was all just a game to her. How long had she been hiding in the trees? Cass’s face fell as she realized that Rapunzel had definitely heard at least part of her conversation with the boys. 

“They’re not going to listen to you,” Rapunzel said with a shrug. “They haven’t before, what makes you think they will now?” 

Cass turned away from the princess. Rapunzel had a point and Cass wasn’t about to admit it. The likelihood of convincing Eugene and Lance that something was wrong with Rapunzel was slim to none. If she had a month, she would have been able to do it but with less than a week she had no chance. 

Rapunzel turned to face Cassandra. She lifted her hand and placed it against Cass’s cheek. The warrior didn’t have the strength to pull away. The events of the day had drained her enough and she would be lying if she said that Rapunzel’s touch didn’t soothe her even in this state. Unconsciously, she leaned into it. 

“This’ll all go away if you come with me,” Rapunzel reminded. “They would finally take you seriously.” 

The offer to take the Moonstone was becoming more and more tempting by the minute. All Cass’s problems would be solved if she just gave into Rapunzel. A power nobody could deny was hers, respect from the people of Corona, and a woman to call her own. The boys not taking her seriously only added more points in taking the Moonstone. 

“Getting the upper hand on Eugene would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Rapunzel cooed. “Even if it’s so much fun to watch you two fight.” 

Of course, she planned this. This was all a game to Rapunzel and it was becoming clearer and clearer that this was a losing one. Cass thought she would be able to resist Rapunzel yet here she was, relaxing into Rapunzel’s touch. 

Summoning all her strength, Cass broke away from Rapunzel. She put a good yard of distance between the two of them, shifting into a defensive stance. Rapunzel laughed at Cass’s reaction, the sound cutting Cassandra to the bone. The princess sighed and shook her head. 

“Just give up Cassandra,” Rapunzel said. “There's no use fighting this.” 

“Watch me,” Growled Cass, trying to find her competitive spirit again. 

It was all in vain as Rapunzel simply laughed again and shut down any hope Cass had. She turned away slowly before disappearing into the darkness, leaving Cass alone again. 

_________________________________________________ 

The next day gave Cass alone time from Rapunzel. She and Eugene had been summoned by Vigor the Visionary. Why a fortune-telling monkey needed their help was beyond Cassandra but she wasn’t about to fight her way into the mission. 

Without Eugene and Rapunzel’s distractions and general unhelpfulness, Cass focused her efforts on Lance. She wasn’t even going to bother with Shorty. The drunk was nothing but a nuisance and was only helpful once in a blue moon, and even that was by sheer luck. With the other two gone, Lance and Cass were left to clean up the caravan and do general chores to fill the time. 

Lance passed the time by whistling that god-awful tune that never seemed to be out of his head but for once, Cass didn’t snap at him. She needed to be on his good side to boost her chances of him listening to her. They puttered around for an hour or so, Lance whistling the same tune over and over while Cass planned out her next moves. 

“Are you feeling okay Cassandra?” Lance asked, breaking Cass out of her train of thought. 

“What why?” Cass replied abruptly. 

“Well for one you’ve been trying to stack that piece of firewood for the past 15 minutes.” Lance pointed at the log in Cass’s hand. Cass grimaced at it. She could barely even do simple chores now with Rapunzel taking up nearly all of Cass’s waking moments. With a clunk, she threw it on top of the rest of the wood. 

“I’m fine Lance but you know-” Cass said, trying to take the segway into the topic she wanted to discuss. 

“You don’t think Rapunzel isn’t,” Lance finished. “I was at the campfire last night; I witness you and Eugene’s littler lover’s spat.” 

“We are not lovers!” Shouted Cass angrily at Lance’s innocent teasing. 

“I’m kidding! You’re more tightly wound than usual.” Lance chuckled. “You wanna talk about it?” 

“I said I’m fine,” Cass responded as she tried to lower her hackles. She shouldn’t blow up at Lance like she did with Eugene, it wasn’t fair to him. Eugene was impossible but at least Lance had his moments. “I’m just overwhelmed and I don’t think Rapunzel is taking this seriously anymore.” 

“You know what you need,” Lance said as he began to lean up against a tree. “Is some R and R!” 

“Rules and Regulation?” Cass asked though she had no idea why the ex-con of all people would want her to think about laws. 

“Why am I not surprised that you don’t know that?” Lance sighed as he tutted softly. “This is going to be harder than I thought.” Lance wrapped an arm around Cass’s shoulders as he began to explain. “R&R stands for rest and relaxation, life’s greatest treasure, and perhaps what I do best.” 

“Cause I totally have time for that,” Cass said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes before pulling away from Lance. This was going poorly; she should have known that the thief would have procrastinated anything she had to say. 

“You got to release that tension Cass,” Lance said, suddenly behind Cass as he began to massages her shoulders. “Stop being a pack mule!” 

“Well maybe if others would start carrying their weight then I wouldn’t have to be one in the first place,” Griped Cass as she stormed away from Lance. She glared at where Shorty was sleeping in a puddle of his own drool. How Rapunzel let him stay was baffling but that was Rapunzel of the past. This Rapunzel would have left Shorty behind without a second thought. 

“What are you suspicious about Shorty?” Lance asked. “Now I know you’re losing your mind.” 

“But you admitted last night that there was something different about Rapunzel!” Cass quickly turned on her heel and turned the conversation back to its original starting point. She needed someone to believe her, just once. If there was ever a time, this was it! Couldn’t the universe just throw Cass a bone? 

“Yeah, but that could be about anything, not that she’s suddenly this evil person hellbent on avoiding her destiny,” Lance said as he gathered the pile of dirty dishes that needed to be washed. He turned one last time over his shoulder before walking to the nearby river. “Maybe if you stopped being so pessimist, you’d find a girlfriend.” 

Cass resisted the urge to yell that she did in fact have an evil girlfriend who was hellbent on avoiding her density, but Lance had already walked out of earshot. Of course, the one time Cass needed him, he decided to be productive. In a rage, Cass threw the log she had just picked up across the clearing. It landed with a soft thump on the grass and Cass didn’t feel any better after doing it. 

She had tried her hardest but once again men proved to be unreliable. Eugene had shot her down and Lance had suggested she let it go. How could she let it go when Rapunzel suddenly decided to whisk herself, Cass, and the Moonstone into the unknown? Maybe she should just come clean about everything to Eugene that night. After all, Rapunzel was definitely not expecting her to tell 

No, that wasn’t an option. Not only would it end in another screaming match but it would make Cass even more untrustworthy than she already is. Maybe Lance was right, a little relaxation might be good for her. Ever since her hand had been burned, she had been more on guard than usual. Clearing her mind might do her some good and make it easier to decide what path to take. 

She decided to finish up the chores and make sure they were well-stocked for the rest of their journey. There wasn’t much else to do and Cass always felt better after a long day’s work. Chopping firewood and arranging their supplies took up the right about of brainpower to make golden-eyed Rapunzel a second thought. 

By the time night fell, Cass was feeling more like herself. She had this under control once again she would try to talk to Eugene and with her mind straight, she’d be able to keep herself in line. Cass even took the liberty of jotting down a few points she had about Rapunzel’s shifts that didn’t incriminate her. 

For the first time in weeks, it was going Cass’s way...that is until Rapunzel and Eugene came back with Rapunzel looking happier than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oringallly, I was going to shove this chapter and the Dark Kingdom chapter into one mega chapter, but mega chapter was becoming too powerful and long and I'm just tired and this one ended on too convenient of a cliffhanger so yeah.  
> It be like that


	7. Within Reach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene receives a cryptic message that doesn't help and Cass doesn't know if she should appreciate or despise her quick reflexes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, a slightly longer note for a much longer chapter. 
> 
> First of all, slight cw/ for this chapter. They find a dead body. It's not gross or anything but if you're not into that just skip ahead a little bit. Secondly, sorry that this chapter is so goddamn long. I try to keep them shorter because I personally struggle reading long fanfic chapters but this one just kinda slipped into being long. So sorry about it I PROMISE IT ENDS COOL. LASTLY, I hate Eugene being royalty. Ruins everything for me so in this story he's not. King Edmund is not his dad, a sleazy con man who got what was coming to him 15 years ago is.
> 
> Okay that's it, hope you enjoy

After spending an entire day with Rapunzel, Eugene concluded that Cass was talking nonsense. Rapunzel didn’t act differently at all. She was still bubbly, just as helpful as always, and showered Eugene with attention. It was perfect, even if they had to deal with a shapeshifting monkey that claimed to be Demanitus. At the very least, they got the last piece of the scroll and the monkey’s jewel from his turban. 

“I mean does he expect me to wear it?” Eugene asked Rapunzel as the two walked back. “Because this does not go with my current attire.” 

“You could always sell it,’ Rapunzel suggested with a shrug. “I have a feeling you might need the money soon.” 

“You think I’m stupid for giving her a silver coin for it, don’t you?” Eugene asked as the pair reached their camp. Lance had already started dinner and once again the smell was intoxicating. From where he was standing, Eugene couldn’t see Cass. 

“Well, I’m glad to see that Cassandra is giving everyone a break from her terrible ideas,” Eugene said. 

“She was here a minute ago,” Lance replied as he also searched the area for the warrior. “Must have slipped off.” 

Rapunzel creased her brow with concern. “Aw, I wanted to tell her about what happened today.” 

“Cass will show up,” Eugene said with a shrug. “Even a dragon lady like her needs to eat.” 

Rapunzel sighed and slipped away from Eugene’s side. He assumed that she was going to find Cass before it got dark. Eugene leaned against a nearby tree as he lightly threw the gem in the air, maybe he could pawn it off before they reached the Dark Kingdom. He had thought that Rapunzel would want to keep it for sentimental reasons but for once, she didn’t see the appeal of it. 

“What did she tell you?” Cass said suddenly. She materialized at Eugene's side as soon as Rapunzel left it. 

“Jesus Cass!” Eugene tried to conceal his yelp of surprise. “You’d think that criminally out of style armor would make some noise.” 

“And you’d think that the so-called love of Rapunzel’s life would notice when she's acting completely out of character.” Cass shot back. 

There she was again. If Eugene didn’t know any better, he’d think that Cass was jealous of him and Rapunzel, but Cass would never go after the princess while she was in a relationship. Still, she kept bringing up love and relationships more than she ever had before. Eugene gave her a cautious look. He never knew what Cass was thinking but now more than ever he was lost. 

“Sorry, that was rude,” Cass apologized with a grunt. 

“I get it, this journey has been hard on all of us,” Eugene said with a shrug. It was one of the first times Cass ever apologized to him and despite how badly he wanted to point it out, he kept his mouth shut. He could make fun of her later, once this whole crazy journey was finally done and over with. “We all deal with it in different ways. Some of us use lavender to calm ourselves down like civilized people while others make up conspiracy theories about members of the group betraying each other.” 

“Hardy har har,” Cass grumbled with a roll of her eyes and a smile. “I guess if Rapunzel told you anything, you’d be acting different around me.” 

“I don’t even like being around you in general.” Eugene teased. 

“Well luckily, we won’t be around each other for much longer,” Cass responded before walking away to check on Fidella. 

That conversation felt off. All conversations between Cass and Eugene were strange. They typically were more of a battle between two conflicting forces than ideal chitchat. Eugene appreciated their verbal brawls to keep his mind sharp, but Cass wasn’t being much of an opponent lately. She seemed distracted and even more prone to anger than before if that was even possible. 

Eugene shrugged as he threw the gem into the air again, he’d never understand that woman. The gem landed in his palm with a strange click. In Eugene’s past experience with jewels, experience that consisted mostly of stealing them, he never knew one to snap open like that. He turned it over in his hand, puzzled to find that it was more of a locket than an actual gemstone. 

A tiny piece of paper had been folded inside. It probably was just some junk that was shoved in it by that crazy woman. Eugene picked up the paper and held it at arm's length. For all he knew, it could have been dipped in kai venom. The paper flapped open revealing a couple of sentences that had been scribbled onto it. 

Eugene brought the paper closer to get a better look. He found that it wasn’t a misplaced list but a fortune that read the one you trust the most will betray you. The words haunted him, a warning he was not expecting this close to the end. Eugene flinched back in response to the words, the one he trusted most, who could that even be? He looked up at the group around him. 

Cass had sat down after checking on the horses and Rapunzel had joined her. The warrior had one eye on the campfire and the other on the princess, her mistrust clear to see on her face. Lance was humming along to the same tune he always whistled while Shorty staggered dangerously close to the fire. 

Rapunzel was watching Shorty. A strange delight was in her eyes as the drunkard nearly got a face full of coals. The only time she looked away from the scene was to cast a glance at Cassandra, a wide smile creeping across her face as Cass turned away. 

Eugene’s first thought was Rapunzel. Of course, he trusted his girlfriend. They had been together through so much in just the past few years and the ex-thief knew he could tell the princess anything. While Eugene might not see anything wrong with the princess, Cass wouldn’t shut up about her being off. 

Still, Rapunzel was acting how she always acted, bugging Cass to pay attention to her like always. If anything, she was clinging even more to her friend than usual and that could be easily explained by how the other woman was Rapunzel’s rock. Cass was just being paranoid. After all, only a week ago she tried to turn the group on Lance after they all got food poisoning. 

Speaking of Cass, Eugene didn’t think he trusted her the most. Something about someone saying “you just have to trust me” doesn’t feel trustworthy. Still, after saving his life quite a few times on this journey that definitely put Cass up there on the list of people he trusted most. If he ever needed to pick someone to help him out of a jam, his first choice was Cass even if she was more jumpy than usual. Her eyes met his as Eugene contemplated the warning in his hands, the dark green gaze trying to make him see something that he was apparently blind to. 

He turned from the warrior to his best friend. Of course, Eugene could trust Lance with anything. They had been together through thick and thin ever since they were kids, but the fortune could not be about him, Lance didn't have a motive to betray the group. What was he going to do? Not cook dinner one night? 

Eugene sighed; this fortune couldn’t be more confusing. He trusted all his friends in separate ways, how could he gauge which one was going to betray him? How do you even measure trust? He definitely trusted Cass’s skills in a fight more than anyone else's and he trusted Rapunzel to always do the right thing. 

The closer and closer they got to the Dark Kingdom, the more and more complicated everything got. Why couldn’t they just saunter in and take the Moonstone? Was anyone else even using it? Eugene grumbled as he leaned against a nearby tree, why couldn’t life be easier? 

The whole point of marrying Rapunzel meant that he would get an easy life in the castle! And that he loved her, that too but still, free head massages and a wardrobe of the finest clothing were also a major plus. He couldn’t help but sigh as he went to join the others, dreading the trek to the kingdom tomorrow more than ever. 

He went to sit with the rest of the group, accepting a plate of food from Lance with much more caution than usual. Eugene looked around his friends, each one seemed normal, albeit exhausted from the journey, but normal. This fortune never even gave him a timeline, for all he knew it could be for later in his life. Still, a feeling in the pit of his stomach made Eugene sure the betrayal would happen the next day. He would have to figure it out tomorrow before they reached the Dark Kingdom. 

_________________________________________ 

They had only been walking for less than an hour and everything was already going terribly. Not only did a large flock of crows decided that they wanted to make Eugene’s life a little harder and then their caravan fell down a cliff and was destroyed for the umpteenth time. As they walked, Eugene put it upon himself to put each member of the group through various trust exercises. 

First up, was Rapunzel. Eugene decided that if Rapunzel was going to betray him, she wouldn’t be Rapunzel anymore, so he defeated to asking her questions. 

“So, Blondie,” Eugene started. Rapunzel looked up at him, giving the man her undivided attention. “How much do you think I trust you?” 

Stupid, stupid, stupid beautiful idiot! Of all the questions he started off with that one? Eugene wanted to backtrack, but Rapunzel wasn’t about to let it go. 

“Why are you asking me that now?” Rapunzel asked quizzedly, a small smile crossing her face. 

“Well, you see,” Eugene replied as he reached into his pocket to pull out the fortune. “I got this cryptic warning that the person that I trust the most is going to betray me and well, I thought of you first.” 

“You think I’m going to betray you?” Rapunzel asked. 

“Only because I trust you so much!” Eugene said quickly, trying to avoid any kind of fight. 

Rapunzel laughed in response, shaking her head. “I’m not going to betray you Eugene. If you should be worried about anyone, you should be worried about Lance. After all, how many stories did you tell me about how your guys’ “trust exercises”? 

“You got a point there,” Mumbled Eugene as he turned to look at Lance. The other man was trying to do cat’s cradle with string as Cass watched. 

“I always do,” Rapunzel replied as she lightly pecked Eugene’s cheek. “You’re starting to sound like Cass.” 

“I haven’t reached the kind of crazy,” Eugene promised. 

Rapunzel smiled happily at the response. She couldn’t be the betrayer. Everything was normal with her, no evil entities from the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow seemed to have taken over her mind. Cass must be looking for something to fuss about. Where was that concern when Eugene had been sick? No, he instead had to suffer while she cackled at him. 

When they reached the Dark Kingdom, Eugene was pretty sure that Demanitus was pulling his leg. Rapunzel was normal, Lance laughed at him and he hadn’t even bother with Cass. If he had mentioned the warning to her, she would point out how this was proof that something was up about Rapunzel and Eugene didn’t want to fuel her fire. 

_________________________________________________________ 

“Well, this is, I want to say depressing but it's not fair to compare it to Cassandra,” Eugene commented as the group looked around the kingdom from atop the hill. “You know, now that I’m looking at it is the kingdom equivalent of Cassandra! Dark, cold, smells of sulfur.” 

Cass crossed her arms and gave Eugene a glare. He couldn’t seem to decide if he was ignoring Cass or watching her like a hawk. Of course, he’d think that she was up to something instead of Rapunzel. 

“I’m guessing your equivalent is the backroom of the Snuggly Duckling,” Cass replied. Eugene was acting...weird. In Cass’s humble and correct option, Eugene was always weird but ever since he came back with Rapunzel, he was even stranger than usual. Cass had worried at first that Rapunzel had spilled the beans on what she was all about now and perhaps even offered Eugene the same choice. 

For whatever reason, even the idea of Rapunzel asking Eugene to take the Moonstone instead of Cass made her blood boil. Cass had priority on that terrible destiny and decisions. Eugene already got Rapunzel in the first place and as far as Cass saw it he had already blown past all his chances with her. 

What am I thinking? Cass thought. Why was she angry about this? Eugene SHOULD take the Moonstone; everything would be so much easier if someone else did it. Maybe there was still time to convince Shorty to take it, the look on Rapunzel’s face, if that happened, would be priceless. 

It was too late for thinking. The group stood on the edge of the kingdom, an ominous feeling radiating from the place. It was the opposite of Corona. Where their home was needless cheery and impossibly annoying with its sheer amount of excitement, the Dark Kingdom was desolate and empty. 

The only signs of life they had seen so far were the crows that had attacked them before. While Cass hardly missed the cloud of feathers and non-stop pecking, it was unsettling to see such a lack of life that she was starting to miss them. 

They proceeded down the hill until they reached a deep chasm. It gave off the feeling that this wasn’t supposed to be crossed. No living thing was supposed to cross the void and if they did, they would have to face the consequences. Cass couldn’t shake the feeling that she would never come out of the kingdom again. 

“Look up there! A cart!” Eugene pointed up at a suspended cable that had a good-sized cart hanging from it. 

“That’s great Eugene but how are we going to get it?” Rapunzel asked. Cass ignored the subtle note of sarcasm in the princess’s voice. 

“I can get it,” Cass said as she walked up in between the pair. She didn’t know why she said it, perhaps part of her wanted Rapunzel’s eyes back on her instead of Eugene. 

“Is that really the best idea?” Eugene asked. Cass looked over at him, confused. 

“I’m the most agile out of all of us,” Cass reminded. “Unless you wanted to climb across a century-old cable above a 1000-meter fall.” 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you it’s that I might trust you too much,” Eugene said. 

“Why would trusting me too much be a problem?” Cass questioned. 

“Exactly!” Eugene gave in. “So why don’t you scurry on up there and get us a ride?” 

“What the hell is wrong with you today?” Grumbled Cass as she walked over to climb up on top of the wire. 

Minutes later, Cass was standing on top of an iron cable trying her best to not look down. The unsafe mode of transportation brought her back to the bridge her and Raps used to sneak out of the castle. Present situation excluded; it may have been the stupidest thing she had ever done. 

If she had never snuck Raps out, the princess’s hair would have never grown back. Then they wouldn’t have gone on the journey and then whatever turned Rapunzel rotten wouldn’t have happened. Maybe Cass wouldn’t have even fallen in love with her too. 

There was just something about that night, with the chill wind, the smell of lemongrass wafting through the air, and the starlit sky had changed her. As she watched Rapunzel leaping to catch fireflies as Cass’s cloak fluttered behind her, something clicked in her mind. Where she once saw an annoying duty, she saw a woman. Chesnut hair pecking out of the edges of her hood, emerald eyes that danced with excitement as she tracked fireflies, and the little squeal of excitement when she finally trapped one in-between her palms. 

Cass’s heart had skipped a beat when the princess looked back. A fleeting moment of bliss where there were no strings attached to their relationship when Cass could pull Rapunzel into a kiss underneath the bright full moon. The crushing realization of their situation fell upon Cass’s shoulders was swift and merciless. All she could do was grin and watch from afar as the wind got to kiss Rapunzel’s cheeks instead of her. 

A sudden new wind pushed Cass off balance. 16 years of training and practice kept her from falling. She wrapped her leg around the cable and quickly reached out her hands to grasp the wire. Her hand stung at the sudden action and she gritted against the pain. 

Cass took a second to catch her breath after her near-death experience. Her eyes traveled down to look at Rapunzel’s figure on the opposing land. If Cass knew any better, she would say that Rapunzel looked worried. At least the warrior had heard a sharp yelp of concern from the princess when she nearly fell. This certainly wasn’t where she imaged herself a year ago. 

As she pulled herself hand over hand across the wire, she groaned. Rapunzel’s actions the past week had been so out of control that Cass hardly knew where to begin with them. Was she serious about this whole “run away with the Moonstone” deal or was she just trying to get a reaction from Cass? The idea was so preposterous, she found she couldn’t blame Lance and Eugene for not listening to her, if one of them came up with this idea she’d still be laughing about it. 

She dropped into the cart with ease. Her back was facing the group and the castle of the Dark Kingdom was closer than ever. Cassandra gulped at the thought of what would be happening within its walls in just a matter of time. Once again, the wind blew against the cart, pushing it towards the kingdom’s gates. It felt like it wanted Cass to go there. 

The woman looked down at the controls of the cart and nervously bit her lip. She could just as easily push the cart in the opposite direction, park it on the other end of the chasm and leave everyone behind. It would have been a good idea if she had managed to raise actual suspicion around Rapunzel. If she took this now, nobody would trust her again and ruin everything she already pointed out. The group would find another way to cross and it would land them right back where they started. 

“You’re supposed to push the control down,” Said a voice from behind Cass. “Or is it too technically advanced for you Short-hair?” 

Cass gritted her teeth. Of course, Adria was here because why would anything go right today? She turned around to see the taller woman leaning against the wall of the cart, an annoyingly smug smile on his face. 

“If you were here the entire time why didn’t you just bring it over to us?” Cass asked. 

“I’m a sucker for free entertainment,” Adira replied with a smirk that asked to be wiped off the weirdo’s half-painted face. “Don’t worry, if you had fallen, it wouldn’t have taken much out of me to save you. 

Cass grumbled in response as she began to drive the cart back to the group. They would be thrilled to see Adria, more than they ever were to see Cass well, except for Rapunzel before she got all fucked in the head. 

“If you lift your elbows higher you move faster.” Adria suggested 

“Huh that’s funny, I don’t remember asking for advice,” Growled Cass in response, 

waiting a few seconds before following the advice. 

They reached the other end of the chasm soon enough. Cass shoved open the door angrily. 

“Looks like we have company,” She grumbled. 

“Adira!...what are you doing here?” Rapunzel asked. Cass perked up a little. The princess didn’t seem to be excited about Adira being here. 

“I’ve led you so far, it’s only right for me to see you to the end,” Adria responded, standing straight now. 

“That’s wonderful,” Rapunzel said. She sounded hesitant it was one of the first times that cracks unwillingly showed in Rapunzel’s facade. Cass hated to admit it but Adria might be useful. If anything, she could provide insight into what might have happened to Rapunzel. 

“That is so thoughtful of you Adria,” Lance said. “What an angel!” 

Adria rolled her eyes and gestured for the group to join Cass and her on the cart. “Come, density awaits.” 

The rest of the group piled into the cart and Lance joined Cass at the controls. Cass turned to look at Eugene who also seemed on edge. 

“So…. Adria,” Eugene said. “We ran into a group of murderous crows; does that happen to be a native species?” 

“Just one of the many protections put in place to keep the Moonstone hidden,” Adria answered, her eyes focused on the castle. 

“Alright, we’ve put up with the transparency of your answers, but I think it’s time for you to be honest with us,” Eugene demanded. 

“I suppose it’s about time you’ve heard the truth,” Adria said. “Centuries ago, a single drop of moonlight fell from the heavens. When it landed on Earth, it materialized into a single opal, a single opal that had great powers of destruction that it would grant to anyone who was powerful enough to take it.” 

Cass risked a glance at Rapunzel. The princess was smiling devilishly at her, mouthing the words great powers. A shiver went down Cass’s spine, how did Rapunzel know this about The Moonstone? Did somebody already fill her in about the opal’s powers? 

“As time moved on, the opal’s defensives grew.” Adria continued. “Creating this kingdom where a line of kings and queens took it upon themselves to shield the world from the Moonstone’s powers. The current ruler, King Edmund, decided to take matters into his own hands. He tried to destroy the opal.” Adria paused briefly to glance back at the group. “It didn’t go well.” 

The cart wobbled as it met the other side of the chasm. Cass nearly fell onto the floor by the strength of it and from what Adria had just said. Rapunzel made taking the Moonstone sound like choosing a new sword. Just another weapon to add to Cass’s already impressive arsenal but the way that Adria was talking about it didn’t make it seem that easy. 

“What happened to him?” Rapunzel asked. 

“He survived if that’s what you’re wondering,” Adria answered. “But after his fallout with the opal, he sent everyone in the kingdom away. Thousands of citizens had to flee their homeland in fear of the Moonstone’s power. The king also sent out his strongest warriors to guard the opal from the outside. This of course was the Brotherhood.” 

“Which I always thought was a strange name considering that one of us was a woman,” Adria ranted as the group left the cart and proceed to walk towards the kingdom’s gates. The castle was still in the distance, it’s dark shadow looming over the group. 

“I knew that such darkness could not exist without an equally powerful light force, and just like always, I was correct,” Adria said. 

“Beautiful, kickass, and a genius?” Lance asked as he walked up close to Adria. “I really am a lucky guy.” 

“Ugh,” Adria rolled her eyes and pushed Lance away. She stopped walking and turned to face Rapunzel. The princess didn’t flinch under Adria’s gaze, barely returning it. “You are the Sundrop Rapunzel, only you can reverse the power of the Moonstone and stop this destruction once and for all.” 

“If you knew this, why have you been so cryptic this entire time?” Rapunzel asked. Cass furrowed her brow. It sounded like Rapunzel already knew the answer to the question and Cass had a sinking suspension that she knew too. 

Taking the Moonstone will kill me, Cass. Rapunzel’s words from the Shellhouse rang in Cassandra’s mind. The same words that had kept Cass up at night and only became more prevalent in her nightmares. Rapunzel’s life could be on the line here. For the first time, Cass hung on Adria’s every word, hoping that the swordswoman would dismiss what Rapunzel already said. 

“While I’m certain that this is the only way to neutralize the Moonstone’s threat, I’m not sure what will happen to you,” Adria admitted. 

“Raps’s life is on the line and that’s all you have to say?” Shouted Cass, as fury engulfed her. “You’ve been leading her along all this time and just neglected to tell her that she could die?” 

“Cass, if this is the only way, then I have to do it,” Rapunzel said as she placed a hand on Cass’s shoulder. 

No, it’s not. Cass could practically hear Rapunzel’s voice in her head. Rapunzel's proposal was tempting enough with the promise of finally being recognized as the threat that Cass was. Now with the added thought that Rapunzel’s life could very well be ended by taking the Moonstone only made the decision harder. 

The group trudged on. Adria warned them of booby traps and the possibility of King Edmund showing up to challenge them, but everything remained quiet in the kingdom. They walked through a narrow corridor, forced to leave Fidella and Max behind. Cass felt a pain in her heart as she stroked her mare’s mane. Something told her that she wasn’t going to see the trusty horse for a long time. 

They pulled through the narrow passage and before long they reached the castle. It was much smaller than Corona’s, more of a tower than anything else. Black rocks jutted out behind it, reaching at least 70 feet in the air. Cass got dizzy just looking at them. Somewhere inside that building was the Moonstone, waiting for someone to take it. 

Adria paused at the castle doors. She furrowed her brow in confusion, a strange emotion to see on the typical confident and infuriating right woman. The brief hesitation didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Are we at the wrong spooky castle?” Eugene asked. 

“No,” Adria replied. “But it shouldn’t have been this easy.” 

“Well, I for one greatly appreciate it,” Eugene shot back. “After the hell, we went through to get here, it’s only fair we catch one lucky break.” 

“Fishskin your journey has been a trail of your companionship, we can only hope that it holds through these final steps,” Adria said as she pushed open the door. 

Cass couldn’t help but look at Eugene, wanting to see some kind of doubt she could use to slow down Rapunzel. She was shocked to find that Eugene was looking at her. Cass looked away before she could get a clear look at his face. From what she could tell, he doubted her. The woman scowled, of course, he would pin it all on her, he’s been doing it for this entire journey as well ignoring everything she had to say. While Cass never wanted Rapunzel to be maleficent, she was secretly excited for everyone to see that she had been right all along. 

They walked through the empty corridors, their footsteps echoing. Cass couldn’t help but be on guard, staring down every hallway on the off chance of a sneak attack. There was still time for them to be ambushed, for something to go wrong. 

Adria led them to a long hallway, the first one that was lit properly. Large, stained glassed windows were the reason for the light. The glass shards displayed various people, each one in an attacking pose and carrying heavy weapons. Cass gave them a wary stare. If she learned anything from this journey, it was that anything and one could be an enemy. 

“Who are these people?” Rapunzel asked in awe, a lover of art still. 

“Former Kings and Queens of the Dark Kingdom,” Adria answered. “Protectors of the Moonstone.” 

Adria paused in front of the last one. She looked up at it with slight admiration and respect. The rest of the group surrounded her in a half-circle, looking upwards as well. It depicted a man with dark brown hair and a stern face. He was stocky and strong, only further emphasized by the great battle-ax he wielded at an unseen enemy. 

“King Edmund,” Adria said with a nod. 

Cass couldn’t help how her eyes got wide at all the portraits around her. Great, fearless warriors like the ones she had looked up to as a child. She dreamed of joining their ranks, even if that dream never came true. The group moved on shortly on, continuing their suspiciously easy trek to the Chamber. 

“When we reach the Moonstone Chamber,” Adria said as the group walked down the halls of the kingdom. “You will need to go in alone.” 

“Cass is coming with me,” Rapunzel said quickly. Cass cursed under her breath but didn’t object. 

“Me too,” Eugene piped up, stepping in between the two women. 

“Is that really the best idea?” Adria asked, raising an eyebrow at the trio. 

“What I say goes,” Rapunzel responded. She passed Adria with a glare. With her chin lifted in the air, she marched onwards. To anyone else, it looked like she had come to terms with whatever she met in the Moonstone chamber, but Cass knew she wanted this over with. Rapunzel wanted Cass when it was over with. 

The thought chilled her again. Could she really let herself give into Rapunzel? The thought of being with her was so enticing Cass thought she might just do it. All she wanted was to hold the princess’s hand as the two walked down the street, dance with her in the cool night air, be able to look at her without feeling guilty for god's sake. 

Such simple desires that some would say were the necessities of life. Someone to love and hold and Cass had been going so long without it. At this point a simple brush of their shoulders sent Cass’s heart pounding and made her desperate desire to be able to run into Rapunzel’s arms and never let go. Rapunzel knew this and the fact that she was using Cass’s feelings against her was nauseating and even worse was that it was working. 

Rapunzel suddenly stopped. Cass saw the princess’s shoulders tense and she hurried over to see what was wrong. Maybe she was having second thoughts about her plan? 

“Raps what’s wrong?” Cass asked when she reached the princess. 

“I think I found the reason why it was so easy to get in here,” Rapunzel replied, her face going pale. 

Cass followed Rapunzel’s eyes and gasped. A dead body of a man was at Rapunzel’s feet. Cass took a step back as she took in the corpse, this was the last thing she had expected to find here. 

“Edmund,” Adria gasped as she and the boys joined them. Cass looked up at Adria. The swordswoman was shocked, to say the least. Her eyes were wide as she looked over the body. She was obviously upset, her usual brighter attitude darkening. 

The king must have died where he stood as he was spread out on the floor with his black crown discarded a few feet away. His face was twisted up in such an expression of pain and anguish Cass had trouble looking at it. His hands were placed at the edges of his eyes as if he had tried to blind himself in his last minutes of life. 

With a face pale and hollow, he didn’t look like the man they saw in the stained-glass portrait at all. Fallen from his glory onto the cold floor. A face that might have been handsome in life now tortured in death. 

Cass felt sick and not just by Edmund but by Rapunzel’s reaction to the dead man. While everyone else could barely look at him, Rapunzel never broke eye contact. The way she looked at him as if he was simply wearing an interesting hat was more unsettling than the corpse itself. 

“He’s dead,” Rapunzel muttered. 

“But how?” Cass asked. There was no blood or signs of disease, just a man with his back arched and a haunting expression. 

“Insanity,” Adria confirmed. “This has happened before to other leaders of the Dark Kingdom.” 

“Jeez, glad I’m not part of that dynasty,” Eugene joked, looking everywhere but the king. 

“This is another side effect of the Moonstone,” Adria continued. “The power can drive even the noblest into insanity and being alone for all those years certainly didn’t help.” 

Cass froze as her face went pale. This could happen to her; this could be her destiny. In an illusion of the light, the king’s body changed below her. Instead of a brown-haired, stocky man, Cass’s lean figure was there. Crippled and caught in her final scream for all eternity, a punishment for stepping out of line. Her father had always warned her that her ambition would get her trouble one day and perhaps he was right. 

Cass pulled away from the group and staggered off the way they came. She needed fresh air and she couldn’t get it in there. She found a terrace that she could stand on. Cass placed her hands on its railing, trying to steady herself. The steps to clean her armor ran through her mind, a relaxing technique she had been using for a while now. 

“You okay Cass?” Rapunzel asked as she followed Cass outside. 

Cass didn’t respond. The last thing she wanted was to talk to Rapunzel right now. Every single time she did she got a pounding headache and that was the last thing Cass needed. 

“Taking the Moonstone is what will be best for us,” Rapunzel said. Cass could hear the princess slowly approaching her. 

“What's best for you,” Cass snapped back. 

“Cass-” Rapunzel began before Cass cut her off. 

“What about me Raps?” Cass asked as she spun on her heel to face the other woman. “Have you thought about that or are you so self-absorbed you forgotten that I have dreams too?” 

Rapunzel watched her with interest, not saying a word. Normally Cass didn’t express her feelings publicly (or privately for that matter) but with all the pent-up anger she had over the last couple of days, she couldn’t help but let it all out. 

“I could lose everything I’m working towards if I take the Moonstone and run away with you!” Cass ranted. “My dream of being a guard, the stupid job as your lady-in-waiting, everything Raps! The fact that you’re holding all of this above my head is fucking pissy of you!” 

Cass couldn’t help but begin pacing around as she voiced her option. Rapunzel just watched her; her expression unreadable. Cass couldn’t help but look back at the king’s fallen body. He had been pale, his face twisted up from insanity in such a fashion that Cass doubted he would ever look relaxed again. She turned back to Raps and thrust out an arm to gesture at the corpse. 

“I could go insane Raps! I could die!” Cass continued. “Do you want me to take it because you love me or because I’m disposable?” 

Rapunzel waited as she eyed Cassandra. Cass had begun breathing heavily and felt tremors go through her. She knew she was shaking and the last thing she wanted was to show weakness in front of this new Raps. There had been a time where Cass would have shown herself to Rapunzel and Rapunzel only but now, she wasn’t sure if she could trust the princess with her emotions. When Cass didn’t say another word, Rapunzel spoke. 

“Don’t you ever dare say you’re disposable again,” Rapunzel warned. Cass couldn’t help the flinch that came with the sentence. She hadn’t expected that. “Everyone may think that, but they are wrong Cassandra, there is so much more in you than you know.” 

Cass didn’t respond. Rapunzel’s words made her feel...good inside, wanted. It was a feeling she had only gotten through grand gestures, never freely handed to her. She nervously began rubbing her upper arm with her hand, trying to keep her thoughts together. 

“How do you know I can even take the Moonstone without side effects when the King of the Dark Kingdom ended up like that?” Cass asked. She’d never admit it but what happened to Edmund was her greatest fear. Dying alone and unwanted, stuck in a position that wasn’t appreciated. If she died while trying to take the Moonstone, that's how she would be remembered. Rapunzel’s handmaiden, hungry for a power she wasn’t born to wield. 

“Because I know you, Cassandra,” Rapunzel answered. The emphasis on know made Cass shiver. She could feel Raps looking into her insides, seeing deep into the darkest corners that even Cass didn’t have the strength to walk into. 

Rapunzel tilted her head at Cass’s indecision. Once again, Cass could feel herself be wrapped around Rapunzel’s fingers. She was stuck in a lose-lose situation. Take the Moonstone and lose everything or have Rapunzel take it and watch the love of her life perish. Cass had heard stories of people who watched their loved ones die and go insane afterward. At the time she thought they had overreacted but now Cass knew that it was a very real possibility for her. 

“Unless I’m wrong and you’re not strong enough?” Rapunzel asked as she began to walk past. She placed a hand on Cass’s shoulder to lean up and whisper in her ear. “But I hardly think that's the case.” 

With that she joined the others, leaving Cass alone. She turned to look at Rapunzel, her fists clenched and her expression cloudy. With only minutes to go, Cass still hadn’t made up her mind. How could one choose a fate when both ended the same way? But once again, just like in the Shellhouse, Cass didn’t think she’d mind the negatives if they came along with Rapunzel. 

_______________________ 

Adria had mumbled a few words over her fallen king before the group continued onwards. It was should have been a sad moment but with none of the group knowing Edmund personally, it was more of a warning. A warning for what might happen to Rapunzel if she took the stone. Cass tried to avoid eye contact with the corpse as she passed, at least if she took the Moonstone, she wouldn’t have to help the others bury him. 

They finally reached the doors of the Moonstone Chamber. Large, stone statues gathered around them, their eyes watching them as they moved forward. Cass focused on the door in front of her. She didn’t have a choice but to walk through there. Maybe she could stall for time, make a big scene about not going inside but nobody would listen to her anyway. 

“Ummm, guys?” Lance said suddenly. “Is it me or are ghosts coming out of those statues?” 

Cass turned and her eyes went wide at the sight in front of her. From the previously stoic statues came ghosts. Wispy, light blue creatures that held weapons that looked just as deadly in death as they were in life. Cass grabbed her sword as Adria raced to the ghost in the head. When Cass looked at him, she recognized it as the late King Edmund. 

“King Edmund,” Adria said. “We’re here to neutralize the Moonstone.” 

“No one is allowed to take the Moonstone, Adria!” Edmund shouted. “And we’ll do anything to stop it from seeing the light of day!” 

With a fury that Cass had yet to see matched, the ghosts rushed the group. Cass sprinted forward, much obliged to get some of her anger out on the ghosts. She swung her sword through one celestial body after another but no matter what she did, nothing could stop them. She glanced around to see the rest of her friends struggling, even Adria was having difficulty as she sparred with the Edmund ghost. 

Soon they were cornered. No matter what the group did nothing could stop the onslaught of the ghosts. Cass ducked and dodged the best she could, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would come face to face with their deadly weapons. 

Adira’s sword was knocked sideways towards Lance who quickly picked it up. He glanced up at the statues and before long, he turned away from the ghost he was fighting and rushed the stone relics. With a mighty leap, he flew through the air, bringing the sword through the stone. 

Chunks of rubble fell off where the black rock sword hit it and a ghost terrorizing Eugene burst into clouds of blue gas. Cass’s eyes lit up; they had a chance! She grinned as Lance turned to face the group. 

“Lance you’re a genius and that’s the first and last time I will ever say that!” Eugene shouted over to his friend, a huge smile on his face. 

Lance grinned as he threw the sword over his shoulder. “I knew you’d come to realize that I’m the brains of this operation.” 

“Earing!” Adria shouted from the other side of the room. She held her hand out for the sword as a ghost nearly cut her in two. 

“Oh right!” Lance responded as he threw the sword across the chamber to Adria’s waiting palm. 

It became a game of catch the sword as the group hurled a razor-sharp blade across the room to one another. Cass slashed through her own statue, grinning as she heard a screech and a puff of smoke behind her. Now, this made sense. Hit something and it goes away, why couldn’t this Moonstone problem be just like that? 

Before long, they had the ghosts gone and over with. Cass couldn’t help but smile at their work. She felt good again like she had before Rapunzel and Eugene returned from their walk but once again, one look from Rapunzel made that feeling go away. 

The group turned to each other, sharing nods and grins. They thought it was over with, but Cass knew that this was just the beginning. 

“It's time to claim your destiny,” Adria said as she opened the door to the moonstone chamber. “Short-hair, Fishskin, go with her.” 

Cass dully nodded, her time had come. The trio walked side by side towards the door and with a mighty push, they were able to enter. They met a spacious room, covered from ceiling to floor in black rocks. Cass looked over the chamber, a chill coming over her. Her eyes settled at the far end and her breath hitched in the back of her throat. 

The moonstone waited behind a black cage. The light from the door caught on the opal’s blue surface and nearly blinded the group as they walked through. Another chasm separated them from their goal and Cass’s heart lifted slightly. No way across means no one takes the Moonstone but that, of course, was wishful thinking. 

Rapunzel’s hair began to shine. It lifted into the air of its own accord. In response, a blue shimmer crossed the room as hundreds of black rocks shifted to point towards the opal. The sound they made as they adjusted their position sounded like the chamber was about to tumble down on top of them, only putting Cass more on edge. 

A wave of blue hit the rocks, lighting up the dark chamber so brightly Cass had to squint against the light. It was one last set of guidance from the stone, just like when the rocks pointed them to the Dark Kingdom. 

Rapunzel walked to the edge of the platform. Without hesitation, she stepped off it. Cass reached out a hand to try and pull Rapunzel from her doom but there was no need. The air materialized into a glowing bridge and with each step, Rapunzel took light blue stepping stones were slowly created and connected through navy blue veins. 

Eugene and Cass looked at each other and nodded solemnly, this was it. Together they walked across the bridge in Rapunzel’s wake. Cass could feel the powerful aura the Moonstone was giving off, the strength it carried in such a small rock. It felt like centuries before they reached the stone and when they did, Cass finally had a plan. 

Cass stood next to Eugene strategically. If they stood shoulder to shoulder, then they would be able to block Rapunzel’s escape. Her age-old advice came back to her, turn your opponent’s greatest strength against them. Rapunzel was confident that she had Cass right where she wanted her, there was no way that she would take the Moonstone. She was vainer now, more confident in herself and self-absorbed. She wouldn’t want to risk her own death by taking the Moonstone and when she realized that Cass didn’t move, she would turn around, giving Cass the proof, she needed to show that Rapunzel had turned. 

It would work out, it had to work out, Cass couldn’t suffer the consequences if she was wrong. Rapunzel would be gone...forever. Cass and the rest would have to walk back to Corona and tell her parents they had lost their daughter. They would never be another guard assignment, every dream she ever dared to have would be crushed underneath it, and not to mention the one good thing in her life would be gone forever. 

When Cass looked at Rapunzel, she didn’t see the black-haired monster that she met at the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Instead, Cass saw the sweet princess she had fallen in love with. The princess who pleaded for Cass to stand still so she could capture her essence in a sketchbook, who escorted spiders out of the castle with enough encouragement for an entire army, whose endless warmth could chase away the cold of Cass’s isolation. 

How would the world go on if Rapunzel was suddenly gone? It didn’t seem possible that it would ever be the same, Cassandra would never be the same. Did she even have confidence in his plan? Rapunzel trusted her, her, to take the Moonstone. 

Before Cass could talk herself out of it before she could rearrange her thoughts one last time, she felt the smooth opal underneath her palm and the smug grin on Rapunzel’s face pierce through her armor. 

She only had one thought as power hot as lightning coursed through her veins before the world was engulfed in black and blue before she became more god than human. 

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might ruin the moment but in the first draft, the last thing I put for when Cass took the moonstone was mama mia, here we go again and I can’t stop laughing at it. 
> 
> Congrats on making it through the chapter, it's twice as long as all the others for whatever reason. At least now we can get to the good stuff oh boy.


	8. In Twisted Matrimony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and Cass reflect on the latter's fuck up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shuffles notes* Webster dictornay defines wedding as the fusing of two metals with a hot torch. Well, I think you guys are two metals, gold metals

Taking the Moonstone hurt. 

Cass knew she was in for trouble the second she toughed the Moonstone she just hadn’t expected the pain that came with it. She couldn’t have prepared herself for the white-hot lightning that raced through her veins or how every single cell in her body vibrate as they all tried to break free at the same time. Cassandra was no stranger to pain, having been on the losing side of her fair share of fights but this was one that she didn’t think she would walk away from. 

She knew that she was shaking, but the blinding blue from the stone made it impossible to see more than a few inches past her nose. Not that it mattered as her vision was blurry at best. Cass gritted her teeth against the pain, the same way she had done when she had burned her hand back at The Great Tree, but this was nothing like this. Holding her breath and gritting her teeth were doing her no favors in the face of this overwhelming sensation, this was nothing like what happened to her hand. 

This was like nothing she had ever felt before. 

This wasn’t something that she could sneak her way through. With Hector she had been able to fight dirty, blinding him with dirt, and with Varian’s automation, she had her friends fighting by her side but now she held the burden alone. Her cross to bear and one she thought would squish her under its weight. 

The Moonstone cut through her violently. As if someone had taken a blade, cut clear through her arm, and sliced her flesh in two. It pushed her mortal body to its limits, deciding if she was a proper host to the stone. Cass thought she was going to die. After all, if this wasn’t death, then what would that be like? 

It stopped all at once. The Moonstone’s thorough test of Cass had been completed and she had passed, somehow. She was staggering on her feet, her brain fuzzy and feeling weaker than ever. Cass needed to catch her breath, but she felt like she didn’t have room for it inside her lungs anymore. 

Her mind hummed. Cass was used to the invasive thoughts that plagued her every day, the whispering voices that she privately rioted against before giving in to their negative attitudes, but this was different. It was her half of a communication, a bond that had just been planted inside her. The humming didn’t come from within her but around her in all directions, surrounded her in her own personal cloud of static. 

The rocks, Cass thought as her vision cleared from white to a turquoise blue. She had been given a sixth sense. She could feel them, they were a part of her now. The black rocks weren’t only her density but her identity now, they were a part of her. 

She heard spikes break out of the ground, new spikes, her spikes. A sharp jolt came through her as she did, numbing and relaxing Cass into her new power. They responded to her and only her. Cass had always wanted to lead, and this might be her only chance. 

Slowly, she looked up. She’d be lying if she pretended that she wasn’t afraid of what she might see in front of her, who she might see there. Taking the Moonstone had sent a ripple through the chamber, throwing Eugene, Pascal, and Rapunzel back against the door. Eugene had his arm protect fully around Rapunzel, glaring down this new foe with surprise. Cass wanted to laugh, what did he have to be surprised about? Cass had warned him something was up. 

Her eyes lingered on Eugene a little longer, too afraid of what she would see if she dared to look at Rapunzel, but she couldn’t do that for long. As much as she hated to admit it, Cass had always been drawn to Rapunzel, stuck in her orbit since the day she met the princess, and she couldn’t that pull now. Her eyes slowly went from Eugene’s brown ones to Rapunzel’s, terrified to see that they had already turned yellow. 

Rapunzel waited a moment longer than she had liked before Cass had taken the Moonstone. In that second where she thought all her work had gone to waste, the woman had reflected on her life so far. Tower after tower, prison after prison. An endless cycle of control and dismissal from the people she thought had loved her. At that moment, she thought that Cass had been like the rest, using Rapunzel for her own gain and more than ready to put her back in her tower. 

Then Rapunzel watched Cass’s hand conceal the blue glow from her vision and everything clicked into place. The power of the action sent Rapunzel and Eugene hurtling backward. They landed hard at the door as the Moonstone’s energy rippled through the room. Shocks of blue shot through the rocks around their feet as Cassandra became everything Rapunzel knew she could be. 

Cass was enveloped in a blinding white light as she held back a scream. Rapunzel watched as the woman she loved transformed into something stronger, better. Eugene held her close, his head turned away from the spectacle in front of him, but Rapunzel couldn’t take her eyes away. She had waited for this moment, the moment where she could finally have everything she wanted. The light died down, the rocks stopped shifting and Cass was finally visible. 

Rapunzel looked up at Cassandra, this new Cassandra that was hers, all her hers. The stone had done its changes, turning her from a wanna be Coronan Guard to the new guardian of cosmic power. The grey armor she had been wearing since The Great Tree was long gone. Now, a casing of black rocks covered her from head to toe. A horizontal, blue stripe snaked its way up her body, stopping at the Moonstone that was now embedded above Cass’s heart. 

The changes didn’t end there. Just like the Sundrop had changed Rapunzel’s hair, the Moonstone had done the same for Cass. Her raven black locks were now electric blue, lighter blue streaks replacing the graying ones. Rapunzel sighed slightly at the loss of Cass’s deep green eyes that she had gotten lost in many times before. Instead, Cass’s irises were now electric blue, sparking with unrivaled power. 

Their eyes made contact and Rapunzel grinned. It seemed like ages since the Shellhouse, and Rapunzel was itching to start her life again. Rapunzel tilted her chin as a smile broke across her face. Cass looked scared, unprepared for what was about to happen next. She needed a guiding hand and Rapunzel couldn’t be happier to help her. 

Rapunzel rose to her feet and stepped towards Cass. Eugene’s arm fell from her shoulders as the princess walked her way back to the Moonstone. 

“Uh, Blondie?” Eugene’s words fell on deaf ears as Rapunzel didn’t even glance back. Her life was about to begin, and she hadn’t looked back when Gothel fell out the window, why should she do it now for her most recent incarcerator? 

This was going to be the happiest day of her life and Rapunzel needed a dress to match the occasion. Purple wouldn’t suit her anymore, that much was for sure. She’d need something, classier, something that put in perspective that she wasn’t the little princess anymore. 

This was going to be the happiest day of her life. 

The new static in Cass’s head was taking up precious room where a way out of this bullshit should have been. Now that she had an inkling of her old self back, Cass realized just how bad she fucked up. She could see it in Eugene’s shocked face as he looked at her, she could feel the dread in her stomach that had been churning for days intensify and she could feel herself shaking from how terrible this all was. 

But all that went away when she looked up and saw Rapunzel walking towards her, purple dress flowing behind her, walking with one foot in front of the other, her eyes only on Cass. 

Cass had imagined this moment before. A strange night where the idea was humored by her brain in the form of a dream. Cass in black suit and tie, Rapunzel dressed in white, slowly walking towards her. At a private wedding, only their parents and collection of friends witnessed the joining of the two. 

It all felt so real from the dialed out bridal theme to the tears on Cass’s cheeks as she experienced the happiest day of her life. It had been a cruel joke to wake up, spooning a pillow, while Rapunzel slumbered elsewhere in the caravan, so close yet so far away. 

Now, these images returned but it was no longer a dream. 

The Moonstone Chamber was hardly a place for a ceremony like the one Cass originally thought of. Instead of church arches, black rocks covered their venue and while Cass always thought she could get married in uniform, black rock armor was hardly her first choice. 

And of course, Rapunzel. Cass had just realized that her own clothes were changing. The light pink and majestic colors were disappearing under a veil of white light and what replaced was no dress of white. 

A black dress supported by a single strap around Rapunzel’s right shoulder was in its place. The fabric shined in the blue light cast by the rocks and only shimmered more as Rapunzel walked down the aisle. It moved with her as she glided across the blue walkway, a cut in the dress revealing her legs. The inside of her dress was a light-yellow orange, matching the wayward streaks of blinding gold in Rapunzel’s now pitch-black hair. 

To top it all off, a yellow gem settled between the strap and the rest of the dress. The Sundrop, finally in its original form for the first time in a millennium. Her dark hair from the Shellhouse returned creating a darkness that Cass longed to get lost in. 

And those paralyzing golden eyes that kept Cass where she was. 

She couldn’t speak, her throat dry and breathless. Rapunzel smirked as she stopped a foot in front of Cass, a heat that rivaled the hottest days of summer radiating off of her. 

A sharp shot of desire went through Cassandra now that Rapunzel was so close. She had always felt that way, the disgusting butterflies that were set loose whenever she made the other girl laugh, but this wasn’t like that. Like the pain before, this sudden desire for Rapunzel was intensified. Cass felt like the Moonstone would break out of her chest, her heart right along with it. 

“Like what you see?” Rapunzel asked, leaning on one foot and placing a hand on her hip. 

Cass’s eyes trailed Rapunzel’s curves as nonchalantly as possible. It was hard to believe that this was the same Rapunzel who hated when Cass so much said the word fuck. She felt warm fingers underneath her chin as the other woman pushed Cass’s chin up to meet her eyes. 

“My eyes are up here baby,” Her voice was smooth, a deadly melody Cass could of listened to forever. 

Cass wanted to say something, choke out a couple of words about how amazing Rapunzel looked but all she managed to do was stare at her with her mouth open. It was enough for the other woman who chuckled softly as she gently pushed Cass’s chin closer to her, bringing their lips together. 

Every other kiss be damned. Cass’s eyes widened as she felt Rapunzel’s soft lips against hers. A rush like no other pulsed through her as she lifted her hands to Rapunzel’s waist. Her eyes slid shut as she gave in to the heat that was coming off of Rapunzel in waves, allowing the other girl to have her way with her. 

Rapunzel broke the kiss. As much as she wanted to stand there and run her fingers through Cass’s hair while kissing her speechless, they didn’t have time for it..yet. First, they needed to get out of the Dark Kingdom, and then there would be plenty of time for just the two of them. 

Cass’s eyes flickered open a few seconds after Rapunzel pulled her way. She had a dazed expression on her face with a loopy smile to match. Rapunzel loved the way her blue eyes flickered over Rapunzel’s face, taking in every detail to store away later. 

Rapunzel loved being admired, something she hadn’t allowed herself to enjoy before. First, it had been Gothel hoarding compliments like nobody’s business, and then she had to a modest, pure princess everyone expected her to be. Now, she would indulge herself and it wasn’t something she was going to stop doing any time soon. 

“Can I just ask, what the hell is happening?” Eugene said. 

Right, him, Rapunzel thought with a roll of her eyes. She felt Cass stiffen underneath her as Rapunzel turned slowly to face Eugene. He flinched back at the sight of her, the girl he rescued from the tower long gone. 

“Eugene, I tried to warn you,” Cass sputtered out, so flustered it was adorable. 

Rapunzel glanced over at her just to see the red in her face that the princess knew was there. Cass became rigid underneath Rapunzel’s hands, and she could feel the walls that Cass had spent years building and Rapunzel spent pushing past begin to go up again. A familiar chill that went between them, the kind that had Rapunzel shivering alone in bed the night after The Great Tree, after being turned into birds, and there seemed that they’d both be trapped as birds forever, after the night at the lagoon when Cass left her by the shore. 

Rapunzel’s grip tightened on Cass’s shoulders. She wasn’t going to lose her, not again, not after she finally had her in her arms. Nobody would be able to take Cass away from her, Rapunzel would like to see them try. She turned to face Eugene, standing in front of Cass like she had done for Rapunzel so many times before. 

“Even you can’t be that dense to not realize that this was bound to happen,” Rapunzel mused, baring her teeth in a sickly-sweet smile instead of fangs. 

Eugene took another step back, appalled by what was happening. “This-this is what you were talking about.” 

“Yes!” Cass said a little to excitedly. Rapunzel felt her take a step forward, halted by Rapunzel being in the way. 

“I trusted you Cass and this is what you do with that?” Eugene asked. “Turning Rapunzel against her kingdom, against her density, against me?” 

Rapunzel lowered her face to hide her smirk from Cassandra. Once again, Eugene didn’t have a clue what was going on. Cass faltered again and Rapunzel didn’t have to turn around to see how shocked she was. 

“What’s done is done Eugene,” Rapunzel said calmly. 

“You guys done in there?” Lance asked as he and Adira pushed through the doors. Eugene whipped around; his hands balled into fists. 

“Lance, not the time,” He hissed as Lance took in the scene in front of him. 

“Oh shit,” Lance said as he walked up behind Eugene. “And I thought my emo phase was bad. 

“This isn’t a phase!” Eugene said, getting flustered. He turned to face Rapunzel and Cass again, nothing but rage on his face. Rapunzel smirked at him, shaking her head at his denial. “Cass possessed her or put some kind of spell on her!” 

Adria wasted no time blaming others, drawing her sword and rushing the pair. Rapunzel watched as she drew closer, an eager smile crossing her face. 

Rapunzel spun on her feet as Cassandra took her place. They’re unspoken communication they had still thriving despite Cass’s current state of mind. She tensed as Adria ran closer, slicing through the black rocks with her wicked blade. While the rocks responded to her emotions, Cass had little control of them whatsoever. 

Let’s see what this can-do thought Cass as she raised her armor-clad arms up to protect herself and Rapunzel. 

Adira’s sword and Cass’s armor clashed. To Cass’s surprise, the other woman’s sword was powerless against Cass’s new armor and she couldn’t resist the grin that crossed her face after finally being a step above Adira. Cass could feel Rapunzel stir behind her and once again the Moonstone took reign of Cass’s emotions. 

Protectfullness like Cass had never known it filled her. From day one she had sworn to protect the princess but now it went further than that. Cass would do anything to make sure Rapunzel was safe, anything. She gritted her teeth and glared down Adira, feeling electricity spike through her veins again, still slightly painful but invigorating at the same time. 

“Release the Moonstone and the princess Short-hair!” Demanded Adria. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with!” 

“Neither do you!” Cass shouted back. 

She tapped into her power for the first time. Strength shot its way up Cass’s arms and with a mighty shove, she pushed Adria off of her. 

The other woman flew through the arm, colliding with a rock with a loud grunt. The Moonstone sparked, shooting out stray bits of blue in victory. Adria’s sword flew through the air, landing handle up in front of Cass. 

Cass’s eyes went wide at the sight of it. She had always been jealous of the black blade, though she would never tell Adria that. Hesitantly, she reached out to its handle, unsure if she would be able to handle such a weapon. 

It called to her, like the rocks around Cass had. A whisper this time instead of a hum, an untranslatable language that Cass didn’t know she had learned. She didn’t believe much in density, but she knew in that moment that she was destined to hold this sword. 

Carefully she pulled it from the rocks, marveling at how light it felt in her grip. It seemed impossible how easy it was to handle given its size and it was perfectly balanced in her palm. Cass held it against her back, forgetting that she no longer had a sheath to put it in, not like her old one would have been able to fit the much larger blade. 

She found she didn’t need it. The blade vibrated against her armor for a brief second before clicking into place. Cass shivered slightly at the feeling. It had become part of her, for real this time. She glanced behind and saw that she didn’t know where her armor started, and the blade began. 

“Whoa,” Whispered Cass in awe. 

She met Rapunzel’s eyes, that infuriating grin Cass would have wanted to wipe off of anyone else crossing her face again. The warrior went pink as she felt the effect of Rapunzel’s smile. 

“Time to go, baby,” Rapunzel said as she grabbed Cass’s hand and pulled her down the path they had just walked across. 

Cass’s stomach churned at the pet name. She didn’t know if it was from guilt or excitement, but she had little time to think about it. They sprinted across the bridge, passing Lance and Adira who watched them with bewildered looks while Pascal could only chirp his distress. Eugene was the only one who stood in their way, but a black rock shot out of the ground, knocking him aside and clearing their way. 

Rapunzel pulled Cass out of the doors, running the opposite way they came. Cass couldn’t help turning back. The chamber door was being blocked by black rocks, rocks that Cass had made. Everything had happened so fast, and Cass’s brain was still spinning from taking the Moonstone that she couldn’t catch up. 

The black rocks crisscrossed the chamber shut, making it nearly impossible to escape. Cass stumbled as Rapunzel pulled her along, her emotions too numb to make heads or tails of the situation. Cass’s world had been shattered and she couldn’t turn back, even if she wanted too. Eugene had pegged her for a villain, and she felt queasy at what her dad would think when he would hear the news. 

Cass was just as confused as with the Moonstone as she was without but there was little room for thinking her clustered mind. She focused her attention on not tripping over rocks. Her eyes were focused on the small speck of light Rapunzel was racing towards. The happiness on her face was clear and Cass wondered if that was how she looked when she walked into Corona for the first time. 

Rapunzel never faltered in her sprint as she pulled Cass behind her, her eyes set on the future she had decided for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will be weird from now on, college and shit, you know how it be
> 
> I'm sorry if I did a bad job describing the dress that Rapunzel is wearing. Between the gay panic I was personally having and the fact that I dress like a hobo and have no idea how clothing fancier than a $20 flannel works, it was tough going there. I really wanted to put "Cass's test scores plummeted at the sight of those shoulders" but that didn't quite fit the mood.


	9. The one time thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass tries to slam on the breaks but Rapunzel is convincing  
> At least, that's what Cass thinks it is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright folks time for cw/ for manipulation(i tried at least) and some self-hatred as well  
> hooray  
> 

They barely made it to the throne room before the guilt caught up with Cass. 

Her thoughts brought her to a drastic stop, nearly pulling Rapunzel off her feet in doing so. Since leaving the Moonstone Chamber, the buzzing in her head had died down a little. The chronic white noises ceased to the point where some of Cass’s own thoughts were able to be heard again and Cass wasn’t ecstatic about their return. 

_Stupid stupid stupid piece of shit,_ Growled the ever-persistent self-hatred that plagued Cass’s mind. _What the hell did you just do? This is just goddamn perfect. Only YOU would fuck up this badly. No wonder nobody ever trusts what you say when every single time you touch something it falls to pieces. Should have stayed out and let Adria in, god Rapunzel would have loved that so much more than having your failure of an ass in there._

Cass placed her hands on her head, trying to push down the negative thoughts with the rest of her emotions. She had been able to keep it all on a tight leash for the past couple of months, even if it had been difficult with the events of the last week. She had been successful in being the stone-cold bitch she was known for, but the Moonstone had thrown that all to the wind. 

The yearning she had for Rapunzel had her emotions going haywire and the last couple of minutes had completely fucked over Cass. Now, her tendency to self-hatred was having a field day. She could already feel the tightness of her chest and the tremble in her knees, about to buckle under the weight of it all. 

_Kiss those dreams of being on guard good-bye,_ Cass’s thoughts echoed. _Not like you should have had them in the first place. You’re a shaky warrior at best. Dad would rather have Fitzherbert around than you so you must be terrible. You should just do everyone a favor and leave, disappear in the woods. Jesus, you should have left YEARS ago._

“Cass?” Rapunzel’s voice pierced through Cass’s mind like it always did. The barking and growling of Cass’s thoughts fell to a murmur and the woman looked up to meet Rapunzel’s eyes. 

Even in this state, all shadows and edges, Rapunzel was still the sun and Cass’s life rotated around her. It seemed impossible that Rapunzel had wanted to do this with her and if she hadn’t been so apparent about it, Cass would have thought that it was all a ruse. She looked disappointed that Cass had pulled them back and guilt stabbed at Cass’s heart. She couldn’t do anything right today. 

“Raps,” Cass huffed, the excursion she had gone through catching up with her. “What the hell are we doing?” 

“Don’t tell me you forgot,” Rapunzel replied, with an annoyed roll of her eyes. 

“We’re going to run away,” Cass repeated Rapunzel’s words. “But those were your friends and-and Corona is your home. You’re just going to abandon it?” 

“We don’t belong there, Cass,” Rapunzel said, eyebrows slanting. “You told me a thousand times that you didn’t like it that, you tried to leave all the time.” 

“I mean yeah,” Cass mumbled, memories of the early days of their relationship spiraling through her mind. Making it half-way out of the castle before turning around at Rapunzel’s pleading call. A slave to the princess even then. 

“But you always changed your mind because of our bond,” Rapunzel finished, taking a step forward. “This is perfect, we can be together and free. This is what you’ve always wanted.” 

Wasn’t this what Cass had wanted? Being with Rapunzel, free from the expectations and rules that came with Corona? She’d admit that she had a few dreams of running off into the words, Rapunzel’s hand in hers. 

No that was wrong, Cass knew what she wanted. A place on the guard, her father to be proud of her, to finally achieve that dream she had since she was a child. That’s what she wanted, that’s what she always did. If she ran with Rapunzel now, all of that would be gone. Her father even said that if she and Rapunzel come back from the journey in one piece, she would be guaranteed a spot on guard. 

Even if she brought Rapunzel back like this, both of them carriers of celestial bodies now, she still had a chance. Surly now even her stubborn father could see that Cass was too good of a resource to waste on cleaning and princess duty. If Rapunzel didn’t agree to come with Cass, having the Moonstone alone would assure her a higher position in Corana’s defense. For the first time, Cass didn’t need Rapunzel to get on guard. 

Yet that shimmering dream of being on guard wasn’t complete without the princess. What was the point of getting appointed if Rapunzel wasn’t by her side when it happened? Who would she turn to when that helmet was finally on her head? Who would squeal with delight and leap at Cass, pulling her into a kiss to congratulate her? 

She needed Raps to come with her. Cass inwardly groaned. How could she convince Rapunzel to give up on ultimate freedom if she couldn’t even convince her to wear shoes? 

“Raps whatever you’re going through, it needs to stop,” Cass insisted. “We can fix this problem like we always have, just me and you. Everything can go back to normal.” 

_No, it won’t._ Echoed Cass’s mind. _You think they’ll accept you as you are? They’ll throw you out for betraying the princess if they don’t for being a corrupting her first._

Cass gritted her teeth, focusing on the moonstone part of her mind now. The static hummed louder at her control, feeding on the self-hatred that festered there. Rocks began to peck out of the ground in response to her emotions. 

Rapunzel didn’t seem impressed. She sized up Cass again, upset at what she was saying. Cass let the feeling sink in, wanting to shrink underneath the glare. 

“I thought you were better than them but turns out you’re all the same,” Growled Rapunzel. Cass had never heard Rapunzel’s voice dip to that level, low and disgusted. The words came out smooth though as if she had been rehearsing them the night before. 

“I’m not,” Cass said meekly. She tried to sound strong, but it was as if someone had sucked all the air out of the room, leaving her weak. 

“Then why are you doing this?” Rapunzel demanded. 

Cass shrank underneath the gaze. She had no idea why she was thinking this way. All that was in Corona was a lady-in-waiting position and bad memories. She always was the odd man out and this Moonstone getup would only make it worse. Why was she fighting so hard to go back to it? 

_It’s what you deserve THAT’S why._ Cass closed her eyes as she tried to push away the thoughts. God, why was the voice so relentless today? _You don’t get the princess, you don’t get the happy ending, only people who benefit society get those. Nobody needs you, nobody wants you._

_Rapunzel wants me._

Rapunzel had always wanted Cass, ever since they first met. She had chosen Cass to be her lady-in-waiting, her partner in the Contest of the Crown, she had kissed Cass by the lagoon, snuck secret moments of affection without a care for who saw because she needed Cass at that moment. Cass was in this situation because Rapunzel wanted HER to join her, not Eugene. Rapunzel had always chosen her, why was she trying to avoid being with her now? 

“I-I don’t know,” Cass stammered as she looked away from Rapunzel’s gaze, talking more to herself than to Rapunzel. She felt so exposed right now. She could feel Rapunzel looking in at her faults and fears, prying loose the things that would benefit her. 

“I know,” Rapunzel said, slowly walking towards Cass. “They did this to you, they made you think this way. Trust me I know how it feels Cass, to be weighed down by chains. Its’ the same situation for both of us and I’ve broken free of that cage. I can help you, I’m the only one who can help you.” 

Cass looked up to see Rapunzel only a few inches from her nose. Her face went pink as she thought about how all she needed to do was lean forward slightly and she could feel Rapunzel’s lips again. Her eyes still entranced Cass even now that they were no longer green. If Cass focused hard enough, she swore she saw tiny flecks of emerald amongst the golden irises. 

“Raps,” Cass rasped. “You-” 

Rapunzel cut her off, silencing Cass’s one last attempt to sway her. “I guess I was wrong.” 

“Wait what?” Cass asked as she watched Rapunzel step away from her. She reached out to try and brush Rapunzel’s arm, but the woman was just out of reach. 

“If you’re going to be like the rest of them then I’m better off without you,” Rapunzel said, turning away. 

Cass was dumbfounded. Rapunzel had been so insistent on keeping Cass around, dragging her behind her like a rag doll to this point. Had she really just decided to up and leave Cass behind? And why did that rejection feel worse than every single one that came before? 

“You don’t even have a plan Raps,” Cass said, hoping the reality would bring Rapunzel back down to Earth and bring Cass back in her good graces if even for a moment. 

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll figure it out,” Rapunzel replied as she started walking towards the exit. “With or without you. This is my destiny and nobody’s going to stop me.” 

Rapunzel stopped at the exit, placing her hand on the edge of the door frame. “And people will stop me, I’m sure they’ll stop at nothing to clip my wings again.” 

Cass’s heart began to hammer against her chest as images of Rapunzel being trapped and beaten into submission. Panic crossed her face as she tried to stop herself from spiraling down that dark path. Rapunzel noticed the reaction and the small smile that crossed her face went unnoticed by Cassandra. 

“They won’t kill me, that’s a given,” Rapunzel said. Relief ran over Cass at the words, but it was short-lived. “But then again, there are fates worse than death.” 

Something inside of Cass rippled at the thought of harm coming to Rapunzel. Adrenaline poured into Cass’s veins but not like it ever had before. Instead of a sudden rush to run into action, electricity ran through Cass’s veins. Building and building in power to the point where if Cass didn’t let it loose, she would explode. 

The moonstone reacted in kind, a miniature wave of rocks poking out of the ground, reaching 2 feet in height before sinking back into the ground they came from. 

“Raps I-” Cass began to say before being cut off. 

“I may be more powerful now but definitely not as strong as if there were someone else on my side,” Rapunzel said. 

_If anything happens to her it’ll be YOUR fault. What the fuck are you thinking? Turning your back on the ONE person you can stand you for more than ten seconds. Why are you even debating this? You’re just going to let her go out by herself? She could hardly manage Vardaros!_

“Raps you don’t get it I love you that’s why-” Cass started. 

“If you love me then you’ll do this for me!” Rapunzel snapped back. “Prove that you love me!” 

That made…. sense. Cass’s mind halted as everything clicked into place. Nothing made sense until that moment. That’s how it always worked before, how many times had that saying before, from her father? From her peers? She knew how to do that, how to prove her love to someone. 

_If you love me, you’ll put on the dress without a fuss._ The captain’s voice murmured through her mind as a more distant, yet familiar voice echoed it. _If you love me, Cassandra, you’ll make the house spotless by the time I return._

Each time she had always received praise for doing it, an affectionate touch or a smile. The rush of euphoria that Cass received was enough to make her light-headed and she savored every time it happened. 

She hadn’t been able to prove that love to anyone before, not her dad or her real parents. Despite her best efforts, she had still lost them and every time she became a wreck after it happened. Her parents abandoned her; her adoptive dad was willing to send her away to a convent. 

Rapunzel was right. There was nothing for her in Corona except cobwebs. Her father would be upset at her for losing the princess and she could never show her face in the castle again. Cass had been held back by chains and if Rapunzel knew how to get rid of them, it could be her first chance at being happy. 

She’d be stupid for giving that up...right? 

Cass’s bottom lip trembled, uncomfortable with how weak she was being. She used to be the strong one in their pairing, the one to open tight jars and step in front of Rapunzel when danger reared its ugly head. It had been thankless and exhausting, and Cass was far too tired to keep fighting, not if giving in meant she could fall into Rapunzel’s arm if she agreed to come with. 

She took walked towards Rapunzel. Her legs shook underneath her, and her mind went numb as she focused on the other woman. When she finally reached the other side of the room, Cass collapsed into Rapunzel’s waiting’s arms. The princess wrapped her arms around her as Cass pressed her face into Rapunzel’s neck, giving in. 

“There we go,” Hummed Rapunzel as she ran her fingers through Cass’s hair. “There's my Cass.” 

Oh, how easy it would be to simply be that. No other loyalties but to Rapunzel. Cass wrapped her arms around Rapunzel’s waist, unwilling to let go. All she needed was Rapunzel. She could be hers, follow her around instead of a pointless dream. After all, love was about giving yourself over to someone else. 

“So, you’re going to come with?” Rapunzel asked. 

Cass nodded her head, not wanting to come out from the softness of Rapunzel’s neck. 

“Can I hear you say it?” 

“I’m coming with cause I love you,” Cass replied, her voice muffled. “ And I need you,” Cass mumbled, tightening her grasp on Rapunzel’s new dress. 

“Good,” Rapunzel hummed back. She ran her fingers down Cass’s hair over and over. “Good.” 

She pulled away slightly, forcing Cass to return from her hiding place. Rapunzel smiled up at her, moving a stray piece of hair from her eyes. 

“I love you too,” Rapunzel said as she leaned up to kiss Cass. 

Hurried footfalls interrupted the moment. Cass regretfully pulled away to see that Eugene and company had escaped from the chamber after the black rocks trapped them in. All of them were out of breath as they stared down the couple. 

“Cass,” Rapunzel said, tapping Cass’s shoulder lightly. “We should go.” 

“Right,” Cass said without another fight. 

Five minutes ago, she would have seen her friends returning as and ran to them but now she did the opposite. They were coming for Rapunzel and Cass couldn’t allow the one good thing in her life to be taken from her, not if she had almost lost it minutes ago. 

Feeding off her anger like a starved animal, the Moonstone sparked violently. Columns of black rocks cut off the approaching group, crisscrossing each other as they stopped Eugene. They’re angered and shocked faces didn’t bother Cass anymore. 

She grabbed Rapunzel’s hand and pulled her towards the exit of the Dark Kingdom. Out of the jail cell they had both been living in and into the freedom of the world beyond. 

Cass should have been happy with this moment, but she couldn’t help the dread that filled her stomach. The feeling was the same whenever she forgot something important, overlooked something drastic. Cass shoved it down, finding that concentrating on the Moonstone part of her mind allowed these anxieties to go away. 

She did just that, allowing herself to focus purely on the sound of Rapunzel laughing instead of the darkness that followed her for miles after she left the kingdom. 

Today had almost failed. 

Rapunzel hadn’t expected such a fight with Cass today. She figured that when Cass took the Moonstone, she would be on her side 100%, but it had taken more convincing than she would have liked to make that a reality. 

She sighed as she gently poked the fire Cass had made for them. The embers were dying out, but it wasn’t like Rapunzel needed it to feel warm anymore. Ever since the Sundrop became a permanent fixture on her skin, she had found that she could keep warm relatively easily. Still, keeping it alive was something to distract from the thoughts in her head. 

It had all happened so fast it was difficult for Rapunzel to keep her cool. The chamber, the chase with Eugene, Cass’s piercing blue eyes begging Rapunzel to turn around and return to the cage life. 

For a moment she almost gave underneath the eyes of that pleading gaze. 

Rapunzel would give anything for Cass, and she knew it. Cass was her greatest strength as much as she was her greatest weakness. She had told her that she needed her to protect her, but it was the other way around. Rapunzel needed to protect Cass from the world that would see her as a villain now. If anyone dared lay a hand on her…. 

The stick snapped underneath Rapunzel’s tight grip as the thoughts of bounty hunters and soldiers coming after Cass ran through her mind. No, they would be safe. Nobody had found them yet and they never would, not if Rapunzel could help it. 

She tossed the stick into the fire, watching as the embers lapped at the wood. Rapunzel turned away from it to gaze at Cass. The other woman was curled against Rapunzel’s side like a kitten and purring whenever Rapunzel ran her fingers along her outline. Stray sparks flickered in and out whenever Rapunzel touched Cass and she loved it, enjoying the control she had over Cass now. 

The blue-haired woman was fast asleep. The day had been just as much of a toll on her as it had been for Rapunzel and much more mentally exhausting. Rapunzel pursed her lips together. She hadn’t wanted to say what she had to Cass back in the throne room. Rapunzel had been poking at open wounds that refused to heal, promising to fix them if Cass came with her. 

Being raised with Gothel had taught her a few things, things she never thought she would use on someone else once she realized how harmful they were. But what was she supposed to do? Let Cass take her back to the kingdom? Take the Moonstone from Cass and die? That wasn’t fair to her in the slightest. She was simply putting herself first, that’s all. Besides, it turned out fine. Here Cass was, happy. They loved each other, that's all that mattered. 

And Rapunzel wouldn’t do it again. She wouldn’t twist her words to get Cass to follow her anymore. That was a one-time thing to make Cass realize that she was supposed to come with, that it would make her happy. The woman sometimes didn’t know that, and Rapunzel was doing her a favor by telling her. 

Rapunzel shifted from a sitting position to a laying one, careful to not wake Cass up. Cass’s head was on top of Rapunzel’s chest and Rapunzel placed a hand against Cass’s hair. 

She looked up at the star-filled night and took a deep breath. Lemongrass coated the scent of the air as crickets sang lullabies to each other. A stray owl hooted from afar, sounding too low to be Cass’s. They were safe, they were together, they were free. Rapunzel let go of the breath she had been holding since the Shellhouse. Finally, free, 19 years, and finally free. 

Everything was perfect at this moment. The perfect view, the perfect girl, perfect, perfect, perfect. Rapunzel didn’t need to act the way she had anymore. These cruel thoughts and actions would go away now that she had what she wanted. She knew could turn this new personality off just as easily as she could turn it on. 

Rapunzel sighed in bliss, closing her eyes in the serenity of the moment. Yep, she had this under control. Rapunzel closed her eyes, relishing the chill night breeze on her cheeks and the soft breathing of Cass. 

She fell asleep, comforted with her lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s funny writing this because my brain is like “wrong wrong wrong red flag red flag red flag this is not a healthy relationship wrong wrong stop stop” and I’m just like yeah, that’s the point.
> 
> Also thank you guys so much for all the love on the last chapter, it literally made my week and confused the people who saw me swagger down the hallway for apparently no reason.  
> If only they knew, if only they knew


	10. Stealing Kisses from Your Missus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene's option on what just happened
> 
> Doesn't paint Cass in a great light

A flash of blue, air whipping against his ears, the hard thud of the floor. 

Eugene could barely find his bearings with the sensory overload taking over him. Between the intense bright blue lightning and the harsh smell of static, he couldn’t even tell if he was alive and not disintegrated in the aftershock. He reached out for Rapunzel, pulling her close when he found her in the dizziness. 

Cass stood with a new set of dark blue armor, the moonstone embedded in her chest and an expression Eugene didn’t know how to decipher looking at him and Rapunzel. No, wait. Her new, blue eyes weren’t even on him. Cass was starting at Rapunzel. She was waiting for something that made his heart beat faster. Eugene held Rapunzel closer to his side, ready to protect his future wife. 

When Rapunzel broke free of his grasp, he expected her to do it out of concern. Her friend had just betrayed her and it was in the princess’s nature to try and reel her back in. Eugene pushed down the smug satisfaction he got from being right. Cass had betrayed them like Eugene thought she might. His instincts were once again spot on and this would only further his position in the kingdom. 

When they returned home, with or without Cass, Rapunzel would tell her dad about how trustworthy he had been and his relationship with his father-in-law would be strengthened. As much as he hated to admit it, Eugene was still unsure of where he stood with the king, but this would only make it better. Everything would be perfect once Rapunzel got her somewhat annoying need to help everyone out of her system. 

But that’s not what happened. 

No empowered speech about friendship and destiny left the princess’s lips. Instead, she wordlessly made her way over to Cass. Cass made no attempt to stop Rapunzel’s approach and did she seem...scared of the princess? That couldn’t be it, Cass wasn’t scared of anything, much less the flower-loving, couldn’t even think about hurting a fly Rapunzel. Yet, the way she stood was different than the proud warrior Eugene knew her as, more, uncertain in her stance than usual. 

Light shimmered around Rapunzel as she continued her stride. It became so blinding that Eugene had to turn away. This had to be some involuntary action from the Sundrop reacting to the Moonstone. Eugene had seen Rapunzel glow like this plenty of times before, it was starting to become her signature move, but never this bright. 

He expected the girl to be scared of what was going on and look over her shoulder for reassurance like she had always done before. Instead, she just kept on walking and…was that…a spring in her step? 

“Uh, Blondie?” Eugene asked as the brightness only got stronger. 

Rapunzel said nothing, not even a glance back in his direction. For the first time, she wasn’t focused on him and Eugene wasn’t sure how he felt about that. For the past 2 years, it had been all about the two of them. That’s how it was supposed to be but now she moved like she was in a trance towards Cassandra. Eugene waited a few seconds after the light around Rapunzel died down before he turned to look. 

He wished he hadn’t. 

Rapunzel was no longer wearing her light pink dress and magnetic vest, the outfit disappearing with the light around her. Instead, she wore a shorter, black dress that Eugene didn’t even think Rapunzel had the capability of knowing existed. Her once bright blond hair was now stained black and it ran like a serpent from her head to a puddle on the floor. This wasn’t the princess Eugene had rescued from the tower, but her loss of innocence wasn’t the worst part. 

She was kissing Cass. Not a light peck on the cheek she gave all her friends, no, this was an actual kiss. The kind that Eugene had thought was reserved for him. He could only watch in shock as his girlfriend ran her fingers through Cass’s hair. Rapunzel’s eyes were closed in bliss, leaning in closer as Cass placed her hands on the princess’s hips. 

It didn’t look like a first kiss but instead one you’d give to your spouse after they returned from a long journey. Had this happened before? How many times have they kissed before behind Eugene’s back? How long has it been happening before and how had he missed it? Eugene had watched the two of them disappear into their side of the caravan every night for the past year, kept awake for hours as he listened to their laughter. This could have all started then, it could have started as far back as Rapunzel’s first days in Corona. 

His blood boiled at the thought of Cass, his friend, sneaking kisses from the princess while he was none the wiser. Seducing Rapunzel to her side of the caravan each night, taking advantage of the naive girl. Eugene should've noticed, he should have protected Rapunzel from what she didn’t know better of. 

The fortune that had been given to him just the day prior burned in his pocket. It hadn’t been Lance, it hadn’t been Rapunzel, hell it hadn’t even been Adria, it had been her. His first thought when he received the fortune was that someone would inhibit Rapunzel’s ability to get to the Moonstone or maybe take it for themselves but not this. Never in a million years would Eugene had thought of this yet it all made sense. 

She was the one that had despised him from the beginning. He had been foolish to think that Cass had moved past that, that they were slowly becoming friends. Cass had wiggled her way in between him and his true love, his dream. She was fucking him over. This was her revenge on him and she was corrupting the princess who didn’t know any better in the process. 

Cass stared at Rapunzel, an almost innocent expression on her face. Eugene could practically hear a giggle come out of Rapunzel’s mouth as Cass grinned back at her. He couldn’t stand it anymore. 

“What the hell is happening?” Eugene demanded as he fumbled to his feet. 

Rapunzel glanced over at Eugene. The roll of her eyes that followed sent over the edge. He balled his hands into fists and tried to seem strong as he glared down Cass. He wasn’t letting Rapunzel go without a fight. 

“I tried to warn you, Eugene,” Cass’s voice quivered in an almost un-Cass-like way. Eugene ignored it. The mere thought that Cass was capable of emotions and still did this seemed unlikely. All she cared about was herself, that much was clear. 

“Even you can’t be that dense to not realize that this was bound to happen,” Rapunzel added on. 

Everything about her in that moment was so out of character, so wrong. The black dress showing off far more skin than ever before, the way she hung off of Cass like she was a trophy wife to the taller girl, and a smile so cold that it sent shivers down Eugene’s spine. The only person who ever looked at him like that before had been Cassandra. 

It all started to come together in Eugene’s head. Cass must be possessing Rapunzel through the rocks. Rapunzel’s strange behavior started happening after the two left to find supplies for the caravan. They had been gone for a suspiciously long time and once Eugene and the gang went to go find them, Cass had said something about Rapunzel’s memory being erased by a memory wand. 

At first, that made perfect sense. After being turned into birds and all the other crazy shit that had happened to them, Eugene had little trouble believing Cass. Now, it seemed all too possible that Cass had changed something in Rapunzel’s mind. She could have planted who knows how many memories into Rapunzel’s head to turn her against Eugene, her _destiny._

Then, at the Shellhouse, Cass and Rapunzel both disappeared for hours and neither had experienced the same dream world hallucinations Eugene and Lance had. Who knows what kind of damage Cass could have done to Rapunzel during the time Eugene was distracted. 

And Rapunzel had been acting very clingy around Cass lately. Eugene had figured that it was because she was nervous about her looming destiny and needed the comfort of her best friend to calm her down in ways Eugene couldn’t. Rapunzel must have been under Cass’s spell then. Was Rapunzel cursed to spend her life hovering around Cass’s side? 

_“What did she tell you?”_

_“I guess if Rapunzel told you anything you’d be acting different around me”_

_“Luckily we won’t be around each other for much longer,”_

Cass’s words came back to him now. Her plan had been obvious from the beginning and Eugene had shrugged it off as her being stressed out and needing something to obsess over. She was practically telling him what she was going to do and Eugene hadn’t taken her seriously. She had played him like a fool because that was all she ever saw him as. Eugene’s fists clenched at his side. Well, that wouldn’t be happening anymore. 

“This-this is what you were talking about!” Eugene snapped as he glared down at Cass. 

“Yes!” Cass took a step towards him, probably looking for a fight. 

“I trusted you Cass and this is what you do with it?” Eugene asked. Cass had been such a solid presence on the journey. Whenever the group got in a pinch, he could count on her to help get them out of there. “Turning Rapunzel against her kingdom, against her destiny, against me?” 

Cass was shocked, that was the only way to explain it. _Her option of me must be low if she didn’t think I could put two and two together when it's right in front of my face._ Eugene thought bitterly. Cass looked defeated, done for. _That’ll only make it easier to bring her down._

“What’s done is done,” Rapunzel said with a level of calm that surprised Eugene given the situation. 

He felt cold air hit the back of his neck. Not thrilled about any new surprises, Eugene turned around to see Lance and Adria coming through the doors after them. His heart lifted. Back up! 

“Are you guys done in there?” Lance asked with a slight tease in his voice. 

“Lance, not the time,” Eugene shot back. This was serious, there wasn’t time for joking. 

Lance looked from Eugene to Cassandra to Rapunzel his eyes widening in surprise as he took in the strange scene before him. Instead of focusing on Cass like he was supposed to, Lance’s gaze lingered on Rapunzel. He let out a low whistle. 

“And I thought my emo phase was bad,” Lance said, still trying to lift the mood. 

“This isn’t a phase!” Eugene growled as he threw his hand out to gesture at the two of them. “Cass possessed her or-or put some kind of a spell on her!” 

Lance didn’t look convinced, giving Eugene a confused stare. How blind could he be to what Cass was doing? It was so obvious! 

Adria wasted no time in charging the pair and Eugene was thankful for the quick action. He glared at Lance, upset at his betrayal before turning away, ready to watch Cass be taken down. The swordswoman flew through the air, bringing her black rock sword down on Cass who stopped it with nothing but her forearms. 

Adria and Cass were at a standstill, neither one giving. Eugene silently cheered Adria on, waiting for the moment where she’d break through Cass’s armor but it never happened. Blue sparks flew around Cass as the two unmovable forces battled each other until Adria was the one to give in. 

The white-haired woman was thrown back, hitting the ground with a solid thud. Eugene’s last hope fell with her, maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. Lance screamed and ran over to Adria who wasn’t at all grateful for his gentlemen-like behavior. 

Eugene could only watch as Cass drew Adria’s discarded blade from the rocks it fell on. The wide-eyed bewilderment on Cass’s face was all too infuriating but it wasn’t nearly as bad as Rapunzel’s smile. She looked so...excited. It brought Eugene back to the day he found her in the tower but instead of that smile being innocent, it struck Eugene as demonical, poisoned, corrupted. 

Rapunzel grabbed Cass’s hand with ease and began to pull the other woman towards Eugene. Eugene shook himself back to reality. He needed a clear head to stop them from slipping through his fingers. 

As dramatically as possible, Eugene stepped in front of the racing duo. His fists were up as he stared them down. He thought he was strong enough to stop them but the look in Rapunzel’s eyes that were, wait are they yellow now? Was that some strange byproduct of being cursed? 

Before he could think about it, a rock shot out of nowhere and knocked him aside. He hit the wall, letting out a grunt of pain. Cass and Rapunzel ran through the entrance, black rocks spitting out of the ground in their wake. The annoying things blocked off the only way out of the chamber. 

Eugene pushed past the ache in his back and ran to the blocked-off entrance. The rocks loomed over him. They were unbreakable without Adria’s sword. The black and blue blurry figures of Rapunzel and Cass were going out of sight and he was stuck here. 

He slammed his fist against the rocks in a blind rage, the edges of vision turning red as he got angrier. Never before had he felt so helpless, not even when Gothel knocked him out sent him to his hanging taking Rapunzel away again in the process. Nothing had stopped him then, and nothing would stop him now. 

Eugene shoved his feet and hands in the gaps between the black rocks and began to climb them. Cass wasn’t going to get away that easily. His former life as a thief served him well at this moment, his time scaling walls and trees to escape guards well spent. 

“Eugene!” Lance called. Eugene didn’t give his friend as much as a backward glance. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m going after them,” Eugene grunted as he continued to climb. 

“That isn’t wise, fish-skin,” Adria said. “There’s no telling what the two of them are capable of.” 

“As wise as she is beautiful,” Lance mused. Adria groaned in response. 

Eugene ignored them. They had no idea how much this hurt him. His heart was fucking broken and they were over here acting like he was freaking out over nothing. He’d show them. 

He reached the top of the moonstone blockade and jumped down. Eugene had little time to follow them. They could already be out of the Dark Kingdom by now and then it would be even harder to find them. He grunted, ignoring the pain in his ankles from the fall but he chose to ignore it. Before he could move another step, Eugene felt someone grab his arm. 

He turned to see Lance holding him back. His grip wasn’t strong and Eugene could pull away easily. Eugene couldn’t help the glare he gave Lance. He was supposed to be his friend yet all Lance was doing was wasting his time. 

“Don’t do something you’ll regret,” Lance urged. 

Eugene’s face hardened. “I regret letting Cass anywhere near Rapunzel.” 

He pulled his arm free from Lance’s grasp. Lance let his hand and shoulders fall at Eugene’s decision. Eugene wasted a few precious seconds lingering on Lance’s expression. The other man looked sorry but not in the way he should have been. He should be right behind Eugene to egg him on, not holding him back. 

The pair of friends stayed like that for a moment longer before Eugene turned and sprinted down the hallway. He didn’t know which way they would go. At first, he thought they would run out the way they came in but the long hallway was empty. Eugene went from corridor to corridor, calling out Rapunzel’s name frantically. 

Right when he was about to give up hope, Eugene heard muffled voices. He perked up and focused on the noise. It was coming from his left. With newfound energy, he bolted in that direction. 

The hallway led him to what must have been a throne room. It was similar to the one from Corona if someone closed all the windows and painted it black and blue. The throne sat, deserted, on the far side with chandeliers hanging high above his head, their candles long since melted. The space was wide open and a strange blue glow seemed to come from the walls around him. 

There, at the far end, stood Rapunzel and Cass. 

Eugene didn’t know why they had stopped here but he wasn’t going to question it anymore. They had stopped talking by the time he arrived, the only other noise was that of footsteps behind him. Apparently, Lance and Adria were following him. Maybe there was still hope that they would finally see Cass for the villain she was. 

The two women were in a tight embrace, Rapunzel once again running her hand down Cass’s hair like she was one of the horses. The scene was enough to make revive Eugene’s anger as he glared daggers into Cass’s back. Rapunzel opened her freakish yellow eyes to meet Eugene’s. For a moment, Eugene thought he was enough to bring Rapunzel out of this trace but it wasn’t long before that hope was ruined. 

“Cass,” Rapunzel said. “We should go.” 

Cass broke free from Rapunzel’s arms to turn and face Eugene. The two stared each other down, no longer as playful enemies but as rivals. Back in the Moonstone Chamber, it was easy to think that Cass was confused as to what she was doing but now, it was obvious she had wanted this all along. 

She didn’t look at Eugene with malicious intent but more like he was a stubborn obstacle that just wouldn’t go away. Cass looked tired, done, while Eugene was itching for a fight. The small connection they had snapped at that moment and Eugene charged the blue-haired woman. 

Cass grabbed Rapunzel’s hand, pulling her towards the door. In her wake, black rocks shot out of the ground. They created the same challenge as before only this time they went all the way up to the ceiling. Eugene couldn’t climb them anymore; he’d have to shove his way through the gaps. 

He maneuvered as quickly as possible through the maze, his eyes never once leaving the exit as Rapunzel and Cass disappeared through it. In the corner of his eye, he could see Adria and Lance following him. The pair weren’t going as quickly as Eugene was, the urgency of the situation seemed to be lost on them. 

Whatever, Eugene would take Cass down alone if he had to. 

Out of breath and aching from trying to be more flexible than he had been in months, Eugene made it to the other side. It had taken him much longer than he had wanted and the wish-washy back up he had was still far behind. At least the hallway the girls ran down only lead in one direction. 

The scent of sulfur hit him hard when he exited the castle and a brief coughing fit overtook him. His body ached from what he had just put himself through, but Eugene pushed the feelings aside as he scanned the landscape for any sign of the people he was chasing. 

A strange blue glow caught his attention from the left. Eugene ran towards it to see Cass and Rapunzel walking across a bridge of black rocks that Cass was creating. The blue-haired woman pulled Rapunzel along, her now black hair streaming behind them. This was his last chance to stop them. 

Eugene jumped down from the cliffside, landing with a thump on the newly made bridge. He cursed the noise as Cass heard it immediately. She turned to face him again. 

“What did you do to her?” Eugene shouted. At the very least, he wanted answers. He needed proof to throw back in Lance’s face to get his friend on his side again. 

Cass’s tired expression broke for a second. She looked at Eugene with pity he didn’t want and it only made him more upset. Cass turned briefly to glance at Rapunzel, almost like she was asking permission to make the next move. Rapunzel raised her eyebrow expectantly. 

Eugene expected Cass to tell him to go to hell but instead, she drew Adria’s sword from the place on her back. Her blue eyes ghosted over Eugene’s face one last time. 

“Only what she did to me,” Cass said, her voice almost too quiet to hear over the wind. 

Before Eugene could even begin to register what Cass had just said, the woman brought the sword through the rocks. It cut through like it was nothing more than butter and without anything left to support it, Eugene’s side of the bridge began to fall. There was no way he could run quick enough and jump far enough to reach them with the bridge falling, he had to retreat. 

Tearing his eyes away from his last look of Rapunzel, Eugene turned back and ran towards solid ground. The sound of the bridge collapsing around him was deafening, the huge pieces of rock falling into the canyon below. He didn’t dare look back in case it slowed him down and his aching legs ran as fast as they could. 

He reached the side of the cliff, a small part of the bridge staying in place. Eugene turned in hopes of seeing Rapunzel again, but it was too late. Both her and Cass had disappeared into the wilderness behind. 

The betrayal from both of them, willing or not, was too much for Eugene to handle. He allowed himself this one moment where he could feel bad for himself. Rapunzel was gone, whisked away by a person Eugene thought he could trust. He had let Cass in when all Cass wanted to do was bring him down, treated her like the sister he never had and was still rewarded this way. 

Eugene’s legs buckled underneath him and he fell to his knees. Slumped and defeated, he could only stare at the spot where Rapunzel had just been. She looked like a stranger, but Eugene could still see the woman he loved behind those black and yellow eyes. What if he never saw her again? The thought alone was enough to break him. 

Eugene heard footsteps approaching and he didn’t need to turn around to know it was Lance. The familiar, heavier footfalls gave Eugene a little comfort, but he wasn’t thrilled to hear Lance’s take on what had happened. If his behavior so far had been any indication, Lance seemed to think that Cass wasn’t nearly as guilty as she actually was. 

Lance leaned over the cliff and offered Eugene a hand. Eugene numbly took it, letting Lance pull him off of the bridge and back on top of the cliff. Eugene didn’t mumble a thank you to his friend, turning to stare longingly at the other side of the canyon. 

“She’s gone Lance,” Eugene said. “Cass betrayed us.” 

“How...confident are you about that?” Lance asked, sounding a little worried. 

Eugene slanted his eyes and turned to face his friend. Lance looked slightly uncomfortable with Eugene in this state. He stood a few feet away and gave Eugene a concerned look as if he wasn’t sure if Eugene would either break down crying or start punching things again. 

“You know Cass! She hated me; this was her way of getting back!” Eugene said. 

“Cass didn’t hate you Eugene,” Lance insisted. “Annoyed by you? Yeah. Didn’t like being in the same room with you? Of course. Insulted you every second she got? That’s Cass. Wanted to introduce your face to-” 

“You know, this isn’t really helping your point,” Eugene said, cutting Lance off as he crossed his arms. 

“What I’m saying is that sure, you and Cass didn’t see eye to eye but if you really think that she planned this, then you didn’t know her at all,” Lance said. “Cass is more of the brooding and attacking you outright type, not the manipulative and plotting behind your back type.” 

“Since when did _you_ become an expert on Cass?” Eugene asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“We’ve been on a couple of friend dates,” Lance said in response. 

“When did you do that?” Eugene asked. As far as he was concerned, Cass and Lance were more acquaintances than friends. 

“Whenever you and Rapunzel fought,” Lance replied. “Something about hearing our friends fall into the same argument over and over again while ignoring our advice wasn’t our cup of tea.” 

Eugene was taken back. “Rapunzel and I never fought! We were always on the same page!” 

“Then explain why Cass and I are about to get our 100th meal free at The Snuggly Duckling,” Lance said before he gestured to the cut-off bridge. “And whatever this is Mister perfect relationship.” 

“Outside influence,” Eugene shot back. 

“Mhm, and how’s that proposal doing?” Lance asked. 

“Rapunzel just isn’t ready to settle down, you told me that!” 

“Exactly!” Lance said. “I told you that! Cass told you that! Hell, HOOKFOOT told you that! You need to stop saying that it was your fault for not understanding Cass enough and really think if you really knew Rapunzel.” 

Eugene felt his face go red from embarrassment. Just the memory of Rapunzel turning down his proposals was enough to send him down a long spiral of embarrassment. That had been the old Eugene and his and Rapunzel’s relationship had only grown stronger over the journey. They hadn’t had a single argument for three months and if that wasn’t a sure sign of a healthy relationship then Eugene didn’t know what was. 

“Listen, you’re my best friend and I’ll stand by you no matter what,” Lance said, placing a hand on Eugene’s shoulder. “All I’m saying is that assuming Rapunzel is the victim without giving it proper thought could have drastic consequences. The journey changed all of us, it could have done the same for her.” 

Before Eugene could respond to Lance’s outlandish accusation, a hollow scream cut him off. Both men froze, the instincts they had gained from the past year of crazy experiences kicking in. They glanced at each other, shared a confused look before looking in a wide circle around them. 

Another blood-curdling scream cut through the silence of the land and Eugene tracked it to the castle. Eugene and Lance both looked away from each other to stare at the source of the anguish. There wasn’t anybody else in there besides Adria and Eugene could quickly come to the conclusion that it wasn’t the intimidating woman. Well, there was technically one other person in there but… 

Lance turned to face Eugene again, the familiar look of terror that only reached his eyes as he tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood. “I hope that’s not the dead king we passed because I am not ready for zombies,” 

Eugene walked past Lance, stopping a few feet ahead of him. He glanced back, his eyes settling on the horizon. He wasn’t sure what he expected to see there, Rapunzel coming back to him? Cass returning on a wave of black rocks to finish him off? 

Whatever lay beyond would have to wait for now, as much as Eugene hated to admit it. If somehow the king of the Dark Kingdom was alive then he could have answers to what was going on with Cassandra and Rapunzel. 

“There's only one way to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I wonder who's screaming. Couldn't possibly be the character that I said was dead and then suddenly had a really cool way to use them so I came up with a stupid reason to bring them back to life hahahahaa.....ha...ha
> 
> Eugene still doesn't have a dad tho.
> 
> Happy 10th chapter! Wouldn't have gotten this far without all the support so thank you for putting up with the 9th-grade grammar mistakes. <3


End file.
